89 / 100
The appeal here is how the fruit and spice carry through rather than dropping away at the finish. Green apple and toasted wood on the nose lead into a silky palate where spiced green apple, butterscotch and malt sit alongside sherry and toasted notes. That balance suits a preference for spice and malt without making either the whole story. The finish is described as long, with spices and fruit slowly giving way to butterscotch, barley and oak tannins, then a slight dryness. I like that gradual shift: the sweetness has a counterweight, and the length gives the quieter barley and oak notes room to register. It is a layered character, particularly appealing if the finish matters as much as the first impression.
Reviewed by crumpled lantern
- Nose
- toasted wood, green apple, berry medley
- Palate
- spiced green apple, butterscotch, malt
- Finish
- baking spices, butterscotch fading to barley, oak tannins, slight dryness