Taster

Nose: Starts off all sweet and spicy, waves of toffee and vanilla with some cinnamon spice and powdered ginger. Huge oak influence too, fresh sawn staves.

Palate: Those oak and toffee notes keep very much to the front. Red fruits come in, cherries, red apple skins, candied peel, bread and butter pudding with a dollop of vanilla custard.

Finish: Long and rich, really just keeps on giving until it’s taken over by chilli spice and the creamy oak.

Comment: A velvet glove surrounding a velvet fist, sweet spicy and some swagger to it.

Score: 8.9

Taster

Nose: Sweetness of toffee, caramel, Demerara sugar and fudge brownies. A little cinnamon and cloves take the edge off the sweetness.

Palate: More of the same please – good continuation of the nose, but with a little fruity uplift from red berries, the odd satsuma segment or two, drying sherry flavours and hints of oak as well.

Finish: Bundles up the nose and palate together really well. Oak and fire.

Comment: Good fun and some really pleasing touches.

Score: 7.9