Nose: Green tea genmaicha, cardamom, cantaloupe, peach tea, lychee, dried apricot
Palate: Pocari Sweat, apricot juice, figs, white tea
Rating: 8 / 10 – this is such a fruit bomb it’s absurd.
Nose: Caramel apple might be one of the most wonderful desserts, were it not for the near impossible mission to eat it in comfort. Like a hell crafted filling extractor. And let’s be clear, granny smith, or perhaps a pink lady or honey crisp is a must. It’s the contrast between the tart crisp apple and rich velvety caramel that makes it such a blast. Speaking of caramel, I still miss sugar babies. They need to come back during the next retro wave. Onwards. Dusting of christmas spices. Brown sugar lolly. Annnd oak. Although not tannic, and not overwhelming, just a big old hug. 15 minutes later, it morphed. The pure bourbon vibe has settled and a myriad of herbal and floral notes peek out. Freshly pulled ice plant. Begonias. And a sharp lavender black tea note. There is more but for another day.
Palate: Potently herbal and piquant. the bite of a sorrel sauce on baked salmon, or perhaps even a black pepper red wine reduction. The oak dominates, twinned to the powerful herbal notes. We’re talking high rye territory. Stewed prunes, dates, almond paste baked goods. Over steeped black tea. Grapefruit peel.
Rating: 6 / 10 – love the nose. And the palate works but it’s not something I could reach for all the time as I struggle with the big herbaceous style.
Nose: Sharp black tea, bitters, black pepper reduction
Palate: Umami black pepper awesomeness. This should be a steak sauce. Spicy. Hot. fascinating.
Rating: 6 / 10 – I love this but can’t imagine wanting a bottle. But what a cool pour.
Nose: Subtle and gentle, soft nuttiness, stone fruits, tobacco, leather. tiny hint of chlorine. Toast with orange marmalade.
Palate: Insipid warmth with a sprinkle of herbs and spices, fleeting notes of the stone fruit, and cheap hair spray. The crystal folgers of armagnac. Wild spearmint. Pool water. The finish trails off into nothingness.
Rating: 5 / 10 – whatever. All the core components are here for this to be great, but they don’t quite come together to pull it off.
Nose: Harkens to a good amontillado. Cherry cola notes. Royal flan, with the notes of industrial caramel syrup (that we all know is just palm or corn syrup) but damn it’s good. A wander through a fresh herb garden after a while, parsley and thyme. A lovely thick wood layer.
Palate: Tamarindo, tomato marmalade, bitter pie cherries with a notable astringency in the mid palate. I’m tasting a touch of salt but this might be because I was making barbeque sauce earlier today and got it everywhere. Peppery. Herbal notes are quite prevalent but are less easy to pull apart for me today. I’d need to come back to it, but since I don’t love herbal, the odds aren’t high I will.
Rating: 5 / 10 – this is tasty but I wouldn’t reach for it again. From the nose I was hoping for a bigger oak and cherry hit. What I found was more savory and herbal and interesting, which is not really my thing. This is an excellent pour for the herbal aficionados. Kind of leans towards some of the more agricol style rhums I don’t jive with.
Nose: Capri-sun orange juice. Guava and unripe banana. Marsh grass. Clove butter, almost flambee.
Palate: Tony Chocolonely salted caramel milk chocolate. Dark chocolate orange. Bitter almonds. A dark heavy german bread loaf. The kind which are actually edible bricks slicked as cracker alternatives.
Rating: 4 / 10 – okay, better than the 1988 but still no bueno. Maybe I’m missing something.
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