Taster

Nose: Intense, grainy coffeed sherry and alcohol! Fragrant smoke, liquorice, toffee, fruitcake and herbal rye-like notes. Water softens and emphasises the herbal character.

Palate: Neat, it’s soft and well behaved. Cask derived character – dried fruit, toffee, walnuts and coffee, gritty peat and spices. Lightly herbal on the middle. Water makes it a little simpler.

Finish: Long and soft with lingering lightly oiled dried fruit and smoke. Water emphasises the spices, delightful.

Comment: Surprisingly easy to drink neat, the palate not as alcoholic as the nose suggests.

Score: 8.3

Taster

Nose: An intriguing combination of sweet and savoury, with notes of smoked cheese, ham, and a tangy saltiness like balsamic vinegar.

Palate: Intense sweetness at the front of the palate, followed by the smoked cheese note from the nose, and a dry, herbal flavour, including subtle notes of fennel and anise.

Finish: More smoked cheese, dry wood, and after a while lighter notes of fruit cake.\n

Comment: An interesting combination of a spectrum of smoke flavours and an intense, liquorice root sweetness.

Score: 7