In a rabelo on the Spey

We imagined that after having picked the grapes in the steep sloping vineyards of the Douro valley, we poured them into a large stone tank (lagares) and then, synchronised to the rhythm of a local musician, we squashed them and squeezed the liquid out from the skin. The taste was opulent and sweet with an abundance of earthy, spicy notes and an elegant fine chewy tannin finish. Diluted we took a traditional rabelo boat down river sipping a glass of young vintage port before we stopped at a Quinta (winery) to sit on the veranda and enjoy a P&T. After 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a second fill charred red wine barrique.