WF's Little Duos: today, two very Recent Port Ellens, IB vs OB

A well-rounded bourbon with brown sugar, oak, spice and fruit, it delivers an oily mouthfeel and long, evolving finish, though it lacks an extra “wow” factor.

• ale
• baked apple
• bitter
• black pepper
• +25 more

A robust, rustic Strathisla packed with melon, green tea and green fruits; austere and not the easiest, but excellent nonetheless.

A wonderful old Speysider, herbal and spicy with fruit peelings, candied lemon, liquorice wood and a signature unsweetened café latte note.

Ben Nevis 2003 (WhiskyNerds)

Powerful and hugely spicy, it erupts with concentrated lemon juice and fierce chilli before settling into bitter citrus and measured heat.

A charming, fruity whisky with barley, lemon, green apple and grapefruit, praised as naturally expressive and notably better than standard J&B bottlings.

It’s so fruity and refreshing, with spiced fruit, candy notes, apricots, apples and cherries stealing the show.

• anise
• apple
• apricot
• armagnac
• +33 more

A magnificent, bone-dry sherry profile with walnuts, cedarwood, mustard, tobacco and massive salinity; another fairly spectacular Pulteney.

A hugely powerful, intensely salty and briny dram with chalky minerality, sharp vitality and a finish so coastal it feels like swallowing an oyster.

Bruichladdich 2008 Oloroso (Halcyon Spirits)

Lovely notes of passion fruit and mango mingle with coastal smoke, camphor and delicate peat, creating a magnificent, complex dram.

This surprising Braeval is genuinely good, with candied citrus, chilli, capers and olives developing into a long, herbal finish.

Sharp, herbal and almost acerbic neat, this Braeval improves with water, revealing lemons, green apples and a welcome barley-syrup sweetness.

Benromach Contrasts: Côte-Rôtie Cask

Ben Nevis 1973 (Thompson Bros)