Taster

Nose: Warmed dark rye bread with lashings of butter, then more vanilla and pepper spices take over. Prickly, almost hot sauce notes that give way to more mellow elements, leather books and table polish.

Palate: More of those rye spices come through, crystallised ginger and molasses cake. Plenty of vanilla here, but also sherry soaked raisins.

Finish: Sweetness holds its place, but dries swiftly with tannins coming through.

Comment: A good warming dram for the autumn, good balance with the spices.

Score: 8.2

Taster

Nose: Warm spices of toasted star anise, gingerbread and sugar-coated jalapeño followed by stewed rhubarb and vanilla custard. Old leather and damp cardboard peeking through at the end.

Palate: Sweet spices of gingerbread at the forefront, yet there’s distinctive musky floral and stewed fruit tones which are dominating.

Finish: Starts off sweet, but quickly dries out with dry charred oak.

Comment: The spice rack at the back of your grandmother’s kitchen cupboard.

Score: 8