Adelphi (distilled at Dailuaine) 1983 27 year old

The dark color shouts “sherried!” and the nose confirms. After an initial blast of marzipan there’s rosin, stewed Assam tea, some licorice, hard treacle toffee, truffle, and a charred element, all backed with an earthy undertow. The palate is tight and quite hot, with charred red pepper and a bosky, wooded note. Not a great fan of water — this is about that deep, fungal stuff — there’s an uplift of sweet dark fruits at the end, offering balance. £105