Solara Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12, Oloroso sherry octaves, WB: 230117

Light copper yellow or light amber. Solara, which sounds like a science fiction film, indeed proves to be a science fiction of taste poetry.

Nose: A freshness, a sea of freshly picked apricots and peaches, arranged like myriads of stars in a stone fruit galaxy. Alcoholic novae here and there. One star dies, others come to life, like the banana note that emerges from the background. The flavour ignites with a lot of ballyhoo and coconut.  The coconut that you buy on Mallorca on the Platja d'Alcudia and savour in a fresh sea breeze. Maritime notes tickle the nasal wall, caramelised sugar mixes with salt, salt becomes broth, broth turns into apple crumble, crumble crumbles into cough drops. 30 min: The breeze turns into warm late summer air, the air is filled with the scent of sad late-blooming roses mourning the passing of summer and shedding their sweet tears to the setting evening sun. Slowly and tenaciously, like a busy bee conjuring its honey, a last queen sends her army to gather nectar. The scent of hard work, chestnut honey, wafts in the air, joined by wood shavingsand of course stardust. Welcome autumn.

Palate: Wonderfully ripe red apples freshly pressed, some of the seeds obviously didn't make it out of their shells. Phew, must have been a large family. Herbs are added to the juice, how could it be otherwise, lovage, sage, a little rosemary. Grated grapefruit peel completes our fiction. A few drops of water add more sweetness and candied ginger notes.

Finish: Apricot kernels and lots of bitter almonds end this tasting as supernovae. Tannins accompany the farewell into the dark distance, the depths of space - unfathomable and fascinating.

88/100