Disarmingly debonair

The Panel initially detected some highly inviting notes of crystallised honey, dark fruit chutneys and tangy impressions of long-aged balsamic. We also found cedarwood boxes full of unlit cigars and candied pecan nuts. Water brought caramelised brown sugar, dark hot chocolate topped with toasted marshmallow, assorted citrus marmalades full of spices and crystallised exotic fruits. The neat palate was disarmingly elegant, delivering slightly mentholated sherry flavours, rancio and abundant notes of figs, plum wine, sultanas, prunes and aged armagnac. With reduction things turned bitterly herbal, like an aged fernet, alongside notes of woodruff, resinous hardwoods, toasted fennel seeds and five spice. This was matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 13 years before being transferred to a first fill American oak ex-PX hogshead.