Double Barrel Ardbeg & Craigellachie

If I had to back one of the protagonists in Douglas Laing’s latest Duel of the Phial, my money would be squarely on the Ardbeg. The nose delights with oils oozing from the chestnut flesh of a grilled kipper, coiled rope on a trawler’s deck, and hot pressed asphalt, with a gentle background note of roasted peanut and millionaire’s shortbread. Medium texture: lemon and butterscotch, delicious fruitiness, and spearmint on the mid-palate. Clean, creamy with a baked lemon finish. £49