By Andy Clark

If you’re just beginning to learn about whisky, I’ve got a wee bit of advice for you ... don’t believe the people who say only old whisky can be great whisky.

Some of the best drams I’ve ever tasted have been young – less that 10 years – with some real beauties less than five.

The latest release of The Glover – a marriage of Scotch and Japanese single malt whiskies which has become the talk of the steamie in recent years – is the perfect case in point.

This fifth edition is a blend of Scotch from the Ardnamurchan Distillery and Japanese malt whisky from legendary Chichibu ... and both are only four years old.

Each drams is highly acclaimed among whisky specialists in its own right despite its youth – and blending them together really does prove that old saying “Greater than the sum of its parts”.

But before we get to tasting, what is The Glover? This bottle is the 10th in the series of pioneering blends from Fusion Whisky, which specialises in creating premium “fusions” of Scotch and international whisky to commemorate a historical Scottish figure.

The Glover itself celebrates the so-called “Scottish Samurai”, Thomas Blake Glover, a merchant and diplomat who had a profound effect on Japan in the late 19th century.

This fifth edition is one of only 1,008 bottles, from first-fill bourbon barrels. It’s bottled at 54.7% ABC and has a lovely colour of summer gold.

On the nose there’s almost burnt sugar – like the bags of honeycomb you get at the funfair – lots of sweet fruit and the nutty richness of almonds and panatone. The palate is a great balance of more fruit and a rich blend of cake and barley sugar. And, because of this whisky’s coastal origins, there’s a lovely touch of smoke too.

Age before beauty? This dram shows you really can have your cake and eat it. But if you fancy a bottle, you’d better be quick. Though the price tag is quite hefty, at £115, previous expressions have sold like hotcakes ... and there’s no doubt this one will do the same.