Nose: cherry cola bbq sauce, which if you haven’t made it, now belongs at the top of your bucket list. It a tough debate which is better Vs Dr Pepper sauce. But with ribs, the real secret is the balance between your rub and the sauce. The best rubs are brown sugar, celery salt, powdered mustard, paprika and used coffee grounds. And this pour somehow pulls in elements which bring me back. Hands down the best rib combo you’ll ever brew. Deep earth sweetness, talking RJs raspberry licorice. Which has nothing to do with any anise derivatives, just a good old earthy fruit chew.

Palate: This is much better than I was expecting. But as buddhist scripture says expectation is the root of all suffering. And I am not suffering in the slightest, take that optimists. Dang, wish I had a bigger sample. Rasberry was truly on point. Espresso gin and tonic. Little takes me back to grandpas pipe tobacco and scratchy wool sweaters. Gamey biltong with a touch of smoke. Dark chocolate with seasalt. Sojourn continues his deep obsession with Acai. An obsession I dont mind in abstract, but in practice its a pricey addiction.

Rating: 7 / 10 – This is actually quite lovely. I was expecting a mass blended and bitter brew after my disappointment with the 2022 PX release. Instead I found a nice classic springbank dna with great fruitiness and earthiness that palo cortado brings to the table. I do wish I could try it at 16 years, to see how it continues to evolve. At market price this is an easy call. Secondary pricey are silly thought and for what I see people asking (beacause I checked) I’ll take a 1993 glendronach any day.