Tennessee to Talawakelle

Initially the nose brought us sweet treats from the USA: raspberry puddings, raspberry soda and sweet popcorn, alongside meringue nests, orange blossom, old fashioned cocktails and polished wood. Further assessment unleashed a welcome Sri Lankan spice blanket, including notes of fenugreek and curry spices with cocoa powder and cherry. It proved a zestier arrangement on the palate, delivering lemon sherbet, soor plooms, sweet wines, rye spice, apricot jam on pumpernickel bread and honey before some banoffee pie adorned with love hearts. Reduction brought the softer sweetness of red wine, refreshers, mandarins, nectarines, lemon pith, lemon posset and rosewater. To taste we found another old fashioned, this time infused with incense or sandalwood, plus jasmine, sweet chilli sauce on a stave, buttery, sweet earth, dark chocolate and stewed prunes in cinnamon syrup.