Taster

Nose: Creamy, with plenty of aromatic cereal, pipe tobacco, modelling clay, a little dustiness and marzipan.

Palate: Sour cherries, sherbet orange, liquorice root, nutmeg and an explosion of natural oaky vanilla.

Finish: Lingering notes of those cherries, the vanilla and a residue of woody spice, especially nutmeg and clove.

Comment: It’s Manhattan O’clock in the Ridley household.

Score: 8.1

Taster

Nose: Mint caramel. Earthy notes, wool skeins, quite spicy with roasted cumin and caraway seeds. Acetate and 35mm film canisters.

Palate: Massive mouthfeel, alcohol bites, sour cherry and rye bread. Those spices start to warm up slowly.

Finish: Sweet and fruity, then some bitter piquant spices.

Comment: The alcohol seems to rule the roost here, but with water helps it shows its nicer side.

Score: 8