By Jeff Evans

Nose

Dark chocolate and toffee with creamy oak, savoury dark malt and light whisky notes.

Palate

Chocolate raisins, toffee and a rummy sweetness, with a creamy oak presence behind and gentle orange. Warming and peppery.

Finish

Oaky, tangy and creamy with bitter chocolate and faint orange. Bitterness eventually takes over.

Comment

A dark-ruby-coloured imperial stout matured in Isle of Arran whisky casks. It's very well balanced, too, so the oak and the whisky do not dominate other flavours. Carbonation just a little low on this tasting.

By Glenn Payne

Nose

Subtle combination of crystallised ginger with some vinous hints.

Palate

Sherry tinged with ginger that gives way to a spicy hop bitterness.

Finish

Smooth and full bodied, the perceived ‘extreme' flavours combine well, bringing a pleasant bitterness to finish.

Comment

Pitch black and surprisingly easy to drink. Under guidance.