A wonderful, shiny amber colour greeted the panel as we nosed a peculiar mixture of Victorian cough syrup, engine oil as well as rosemary and lamb fat roasted potatoes. On the palate smoked cod liver drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil on toast as an appetizer followed by Rioja-braised lamb shanks with chorizo. After reduction, the saying to ‘pour fuel on to the fire’ came to mind as we started a barbeque or a bonfire while nibbling on some roasted almonds and wondering what a dash of it would do to a smoky Bloody Mary cocktail. Following twenty-one years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill shaved, toasted and re-charred Oloroso barrique.