- Nose
- Crisp, yet well-formed, and complex. Nicely balanced between the drier notes from the wine and sweeter, nutty notes of barley and cask wood. Aromas of vanilla and fresh grapes, with some oak. Sherry and strawberries, maybe dark chocolate. [5, 9, 4]
- Palate
- Lightly oily, and sweetly malty to start, then spicy, with rich dried fruit hints of raisin and date. Creamy-smooth, with lightly grapey sweetness balanced by warming wood-spice. Dry, after early biscuit-sweetness. Enormous malt character contrasts with the fruitiness of the grape. Initially sweet, high quality sherry moving to velvety Marashino cherry, then dry, spicy cinnamon sticks. [5, 9, 13, 4]
- Finish
- Really long, attractively drying and oaky, while lightly white pepper-spicy. Appealing aftertaste. Very long, dry, oaky, with very faint peppery notes and softened by very late caramel. Cigar & espresso coffee, puckering dry. [5, 9, 13, 4]