Nose: Cola with prickly pear simple syrup. You are probably thinking, what a pretentious asshole, just say pomegranate or cherry like everyone else. But my hands are stained red and swollen, as we spent Saturday tiptoeing through cacti picking the fruit and making both syrup and juice, from which I have an EDV fermenting. The kids and I used the syrup with sparkling water to make sodas. And I can’t wait to add it to my coke. The pure fruit syrup has both a deep acidity, warmth that strongly rings of cinnamon, and a light molasses funk. Take the potent dark fruit vibe and layer a full oak embrace and a touch of esters. 

Palate: Yes and. Tart pie cherries. The kind where if you don’t layer in nearly equal weight in sugar all you get is puckerface. A generous application of madagascar bourbon vanilla extract. A touch of cloves. With a bigger sip the juiciness fills my mouth with sourness. Pink grapefruit lemonade. Or those japanese extra sour cola hard candy. Two minutes later my tongue puckers a touch and has a strong drying tannin effect.

Rating: 6 / 10 – I’m truly struggling between a 6 and 7. It’s a solid pour. Right up my alley stylistically. But the drying pucker sour is just a bit too pronounced for me to pour this on the regular. My lips are tingling as I write this. Definitely happy I got a bottle when Afish released it. That cork is legend.