Taster

Nose: Really gentle at first, caramel wafer biscuits, malt extract, pears and honey. Lemon posset with candied rind. In time a little tobacco ash.

Palate: The sweetness starts to build with the malt, grainy note coming first. A little dried herbs and borage flowers. Vanilla pods and chocolate pods.

Finish: Holds for a bit, then vanishes, leaving a little chocolate sweetness as well.

Comment: Decent enough but doesn’t carry enough punch to it, even at 46%.

Score: 7.1

Taster

Nose: As shy as a jack in a box with no spring. Water helps coax out some caramel and a little floral character.

Palate: Caramel-forward, with some spice on the tip of the tongue. There’s some trail mix and dried citrus peel alongside dry oak. Things brighten with a drop of water.

Finish: Short and a little dry with a hint of caramel to it.

Comment: Pleasant enough, but a little one-dimensional.

Score: 6.7