Taster

Nose: Perfumy. Bakery shop. Gingerbread. Crème brûlée. Caramelised pecan nuts. Dried apricots. Wet leaves. Hint of mushrooms.

Palate: Mellow and sweet. Beautiful balance between oak and fruit. Creamy.

Finish: Drying out on spices. Oak gives more length without any show off.

Comment: A superbly balanced giant. More on the sweet side than the spicy one. Should marry so well with my pecan pie! Avoid water.

Score: 8

Taster

Nose: Lifted, sweet and spicy. Nutmeg, banana, amaretto, coconut and some hickory. Dusty oak. Almost Cognac-like. Real complexity.

Palate: Soft, gentle. Quite honeyed, then a zap of lemon zest over the top of the dense fruit. Classy.

Finish: Tingling. Long.

Comment: Lulls you into a gentle world then zaps you in the middle of the mouth. A symphony in two movements. Highly recommended.

Score: 8.8