Benromach Portwood 19 year old (45%) Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky (no longer available)

Colour: Rich brown with orangey-red tones
Nose: Red berry fruits with sweet, malty notes. Slightly floral and perfumey.
Palate: Cinnamon spices and rich fruitiness, like Christmas cake.
Body: Smooth.
Finish: Dry and slightly smoky.

Cask type: Refill sherry hogsheads and finished for a further three years in port pipes.

Michael Jackson is internationally the most widely published author on whisky. His Malt Whisky Companion is the world’s best selling book on the subject and is in its revised 5th edition. Jackson is a Master of the Quaich.

Colour: Full bronze.
Nose: Toffee-ish.
Body: Smooth.
Palate: Nutty sweet. Peanut brittle. Pecan nuts.
Finish: Firm. Very long. Dusty sweetness. Pastry dusted with icing sugar. Blueberry pie with the pastry slightly burned.
Comment: The scene has shifted to another colony: Virginia?

Martine Nouet is France's foremost writer on whisky. Known as "La Reine de l'alambic" ("Queen of the still"), she delights in discovering new malts, not only to drink, but also to cook with. Martine is also a Keeper of the Quaich.

Colour: Orangey with a pinky fringe, like a fading rose.
Nose: Delicately perfumy with soft fruity notes. Peach. Watermelon. A touch of sugar barley. Eucalyptus. With water, opens on floral aromas.
Body: Firm, creamy.
Palate: Surprisingly tangy and vigorous at start. Softens on fruit flavours. Hint of prunes and bitter almond.
Finish: Long, dry and spicy. Hint of liquorice.
Comment: The Port finish adds softness and fruitiness to the distillery character. Water should be used cautiously. It brings out floweriness on the nose but hardens on the palate.

Jim Murray is a legend and leading player on the world's whisky stage. He has even branched out from writing about whisky to now being a consultant blender as well.
After more than a decade of research and discovery he became the world's first full time whisky writer in 1992 and won the coveted Glenfiddich Award each of the three times he was entered for the competition.

Jim is the author of a dozen whisky books, his latest being "Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2004".

Nose: Incredibly fresh, winey, juicy fruit gums and clean.
Taste: Mouthwateringly clean and juicy with a sensational mixture of ultra-clean barley and quite amazing sweet grape.
Finish: Some lazy spices and bristling oak marry superbly with that elegant barley thread.
Comment: These must be absolutely brand new, first fill port pipes to get this intensity of flavour. A classic among port finishes, reminding others how it should be done.