Murray McDavid Cask Craft Croftengea (Loch Lomond) Marsala Cask Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Loch Lomond and its numerous variants (Inchmoan, Inchmurrin, Inchfad, Croftengea, Rosdhu…) have shone in recent years, delivering super-tasty alternatives to island peaters. Their rise is mostly thanks to a few independent merchants. Here's one from Murray McDavid, re-racked into Marsala barriques from Sicily. Compared to cask-strength bottlings, this delivers an affordable lower ABV expression while maintaining impressive texture and flavour. Sweet cured meats through the mid-palate turn to smoked fish, dark chocolate and barrel char before the wine kicks in a layer of richness and extends the length adding honeyed cereals, grilled pineapple and a sweet cough lozenge character. The balance is near perfect. If you are partial to peated malts with any kind of sweet finishing, you'll enjoy this. 44.5% Alc./Vol.

Notes from the bottlers... Light, sweet smoke with mellow orchard fruits. Sweet hickory, honied cereal and bbq tropical fruits.