We’re really chuffed to have this whisky in our store. Not only are we big fans of Gordon & MacPhail, but this whisky is a trip back in time, all the way to how whisky was made in the post-war era.

And boy, did they know how to make whisky back then.

On the nose, you get a harmonious fusion of peat and fruits that, in theory, shouldn’t work. The two ideas seem discordant. And yet, as you give it a whiff, you get a hit of an incredibly complex aromas. Smoke and peat dance around herbs, fruits and flowers to give off a smell that is out of this world.

We’d be happy to just sniff it and then put the cork back in.

(That’s obviously a lie, but you know what we mean.)

Now, as you take a sip, you’re glad you didn’t decide to stop at just the nose. Peaty sultanas gradually build into fruits, spices and a syrupy sweetness. But not all at once, and not in a crass, in-your-face way. They start to slowly fizzle and build into their complexity.

And then, like any good Island malt, it has a long, smoky finish.

It’s good. It’s very good.

Very, very good.

Then again, it’s Talisker and Gordon and MacPhail. Did you really expect anything other than perfection?