Contrary to popular belief, whiskies change in flavour from year to year – despite the best efforts of master blenders to keep to a house style. Locke's 8-year-old is a case in point. I was more fond of last year's batch, though this one is lovely, too. It's robust, with a sweet fruity-malty core and heady essence of campfire wood owing to an uncommon-for-Ireland infusion of peat smoke.