Nuts and belts and engine oil

Wisps of applewood smoke danced over savoury notes of olives in brine, cured game meat and fennel seeds. Then delicate flakes of ash fluttered down to settle on toasted pine nuts and roasted chestnuts. A palate that started sweet with chili sauce and boiled barley sugars gained complexity as it morphed into salted liquorice, singed orange skin and a drizzle of engine oil. A drop of water accentuated the brine and the nutty oils of walnuts and almonds. Smoked mackerel and bacon now combined with the soft leather of a belt, cherry skins and the smoke from snuffed candles rolled over charred oak.