Adelphi 14 year old 1997 (distilled at Macallan)

Here is Macallan in full-blown masculine mode. Initially it seems tight and (sherry) cask driven, but soon you are taken into a winter kitchen with scents of venison, and appropriate rowanberry edges adding a sweet and sour fruitiness. That wild berry note is given another nudge by a whiff of burning juniper. The palate shows it to be thick with a quivering mass of black fruits, and a finish of molasses and licorice. A feast. £75