Tasting Notes by Malt Maniac Craig Daniels

Colour: Medium amber with a nasturtium flame highlight (5.2)

Aroma: Subtle caramel and toffee, hint of lifted spirit, peanut brittle, hints of stone fruits, lemon curd, dried sultanas and honey biscuits. Opens up as the alcohol gets a bit more forward. The fortified (tawny) casks kick in as the caramel morphs into a fruit and nut mix with sultanas and toffee coated macadamias and cashews.

Taste: Fruity, some sweet and sour notes like figs in balsamic and some roasted sweet nuts carry over from the nose. The toffees and the subtle fruit develop alongside the nuttiness. The caramel base note provides depth and structure.

Finish: Full and silky with some nut-skins and fruit bitters, starts sweet then dries. Good tannins.

Comment: It’s a robust, smooth and placid charmer and the nutty tannins do add a refreshing hint of bitterness to the finish.