Taster

Nose: Wood polish, heather honey, fudge, fresh blackberries, new leather, and pine needles. Quite resinous, with pecan-flavoured coffee beans, too.

Palate: Medium-full. Dried apricots, caramel, some fleeting rose and black cherry notes, then back to bitter dark chocolate and espresso. Some raisin and mixed candied citrus peels. Chinese five spice and green peppercorn.

Finish: Long, on caramel and white pepper.

Comment: Smells like a freshly dumped bourbon barrel and tastes like American whiskey. I wouldn’t have guessed it was English!

Score: 7.9

Taster

Nose: resh apricot and nectarine. Cloudy apple juice and the syrup from tinned fruit cocktail. Hint of Farley’s Rusk and corn tortilla dough. Subtle floral notes and toffee sauce.

Palate: Medium bodied. Sticky toffee pudding with dates, and a hint of boot polish. Savoury seeded cracker. Orange citrus, like expressed peel. A little ripe banana and stem ginger.

Finish: Medium. A little tannic and warm, with notes of toffee and black tea.

Comment: Calm the heat and enhance the fruit notes with a little water.

Score: 7.9