Taster

Nose: Haunting and clearly ancient, earthy yet amazingly fresh. Perfumed and exotic: hair oil, wax, bread & butter pudding, some sultana but also vestigial smoke, mixed with light tropical fruits. Rancio.

Palate: No water is needed. Deep and lightly burnt. Highland toffee cut with dried soft fruits. Mysterious, with hints of oak and hawthorn berries. Elegant and layered.

Finish: Lengthy moving into leather.

Comment: Quite magnificent.

Score: 9.3

Taster

Nose: Immediate rancio. Mushrooms, hummus, bracken, woodsmoke. A sherry heart with oak and fruit perfectly mingled. On time, liquorice, chocolate and praline.

Palate: Crisp and crunchy. Sherry at its best. Complex and refined. And still so lively.

Finish: Lingering. Lusciously fading on liquorice and walnut.

Comment: Old in age and indeed young in spirit. Noblesse oblige.

Score: 9.2