Loch Lomond Old Rhosdhu 5 Year Old, 40%

The short finish is a letdown: sugar, sawdust and bottled apple juice give way to molasses honey and a little soap. There’s an interesting saltiness in the aftertaste, but the palate’s cardboard and cologne make this a difficult balance.

Reviewed by afterglow compass

Nose

English breakfast tea, tinned soft corn, overripe apple, supermarket cakes

Palate

Artificial vanilla, drops of cologne, bottled apple juice, cardboard, saltiness in the aftertaste

Finish

Short, a little sugar, sawdust, more bottled apple juice, molasses honey in the aftertaste, a little soap