Nose: My nose crinkled. Of all the things I was expecting from an ale cask, tunera (prickly pear) was not one of them. When you live on a desert island, you eat what you grow. Here, along with plantains (go figure), that is cactus. And they use the leaves in all kinds of dishes, although my hands down favorite is sorbet or aguachile. The prickly pear is a delightful explosion of sweet and tart. Going so far as the bright note of loquat. As the glass rested, the ale cask began to shine. That smooth butteriness of a brazil nut. Which ironically is not a nut but a seed. Warm, whole grain bread. Allspice and a dash of cardamom.

Palate: It’s raining outside. Which for you northerners is a given, but for me is a source of rare nostalgia. I’m in jeans and long sleeves, which is nearly a special event. Perfect for this pour. It belongs on a table between friends by the fire, where camaraderie warms the heart and staves off the world. I’ve been working through a cold for nearly a month now, and when I blew my nose, an explosion of berries. The flavors are super well integrated. Soft and rich, edging on decadent. Like German fruit nut bread. Or a whole grain sopapilla; deep fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and warm butter. I honestly prefer it with honey, but don’t get that here. The finish ends with a slightly tart note, green peppercorn and unripe plum. This is the pfeffernusse of whiskey.

Rating: 6 / 10 – the longer this sat, the more it evolved and the richer the palate. My first impression: this is a good pour, glad I had one. I always support my friends’ projects. On my second pour, ohhhh, thank goodness I bought two. This is really good. Props lads. A year later, back down to a 6. Still awesome, but I ended up gifting the second bottle to a friend.