LATEST OUTTURN

We rubbed our barbecue ribs with a black beef seasoning, along with the usual ingredients such as salt, pepper, garlic, brown sugar, onion and hot chilli. There was also charcoal in that rub. While waiting for our ribs to cook, we also barbecued smoked bacon lardons, cured meat and venison backstrap in a Worcester sauce marinade. Water added more complexity with aromas of caramelised honey figs, but we soon came back for more meat.

Not what we were expecting – but a pleasant surprise nonetheless; the nose had confectionery (tooty frooties, rainbow drops, butterscotch), vanilla custard slice and apples stored in wood. More vanilla reached our palates (cream horns, pastel de nata) alongside abundant fruit – bananas mashed with golden syrup, custard apple, gooseberry and grappa – while gentle nutmeg, coconut and oak teased the finish.

We set ourselves the challenge of creating a small-batch blended malt using ingredients from each of the five Scotch whisky producing regions. The resulting whisky has bags of character, wisps of smoke, and an abundance of honey. Reminiscent of "old-school" blends of the past, we thought.