Nose: As a kid you couldn’t force me, but somehow in my 40s I’ve finally acquired the taste for well crisped fat. Especially with the charred caramelized bits. Rich decadence off the charts. I’ve had cassis on the brain all week. Stained glass purple tinted fingertips. Blackberries from the warm side of the train tracks, ultra ripe sticky deep red figs, veering into vieille prune. Old saddle tack and grandpa’s pipe tobacco. Black shoe polish, restrained, deep, elegant.

Palate: A full suitcase of gentle flavors. Sorry sir, that won’t fit into the overhead bin, would you like us to check this for you? You don’t look to be in a rush. A sweet dustiness, with hints of polish. Boom. Warm, wood embrace, which for me is good but won’t suit everyone. I blew my nose after a big sip and could see the quercus vapors curling out of my nostrils like puff the magic dragon. Sweet and dry tones of a well-tuned fruit leather. I’m back into running long distances after a 5 year break and was praying the industry had shifted from sickly fruit flavored energy sources to anything less sweet. No luck, but the natural fruit jellies have come a long way. I really enjoyed the green banana, ginger and cardamom chews. Add a bit of oak extract, and you are on point.

Rating: 7 / 10 – What a nose. And the palate is no slouch, if you can really slow down and give it space. I love this level of wood, but my instinct is that they waited too long. Would have loved to try it at 30 years in cask.