Taster

Nose: Buttery. Gingerbread. Plum jam. Raisins dipped in chocolate. Prunes and dates. White pepper. Butterscotch.

Palate: Enticing. Lovely oily mouthfeel. Spicy plum chutney. Cinnamon, nutmeg.

Finish: Oaky, spicy, warm and long.

Comment: Oak calls the tune but does not drown out the choir. A classic afterdinner dram.

Score: 7.8

Taster

Nose: Weighty, stewed fruits, cocoa (Green and Blacks) bramble jelly, flambéed pineapple, clotted cream, blackberry.

Palate: Rich fat and sweet. Dried fruits, Dundee cake, pecan, cherry, plum/pruneaux. Chocolate.

Finish: Sweet, long, mixing dried and hedgerow fruits. Molasses.

Comment: This is a Rubens nude, waving as she flies past in a flash car.

Score: 7.8