Paul John – 6 Year Old Batch 6 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company) (50cl, 47.6%)

A six-year-old Paul John single malt from Goa, in India, bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company as Batch 6. It is made from peated barley malt, which brings out the smoky side of the distillery. The batch runs to 175 bottles at 47.6%, in a 50cl bottle, and the whisky is not chill-filtered and has no added colour. It matured in Goa's tropical climate, far warmer than Scotland, which speeds up maturation and leads to high evaporation losses. The nose opens with oily, sooty smoke, then dark chocolate, fresh mint, burnt oak and salted caramel. The palate is oily and full-bodied, with chocolate cake, dark cherries, black pepper and oak. The finish is long and smoky.