Nose: Saucisson. It’s all I can smell. A rich fattiness, nearly bone marrow. The resin part of the epoxy before adding the curing agent. Like hanging out with a friend wearing a slightly wet flannel who was smoking cloves outside. The longer it sat, the more I can feel the old woodshop dust from a project finished long ago. The smell of sharp nostalgia. But when I get past the raw ethel vibe, it’s wonderful.
Palate: I know the name is so suggestive it probably just drags me there, but the pine derby vibe is unmistakable. Marijuana tar. Cloves. I was in a bar recently where a few mixologists were practicing for the Spanish cocktail championships. They would never call themselves such a pretentious title, but the experiments that happened in front of my face were inspiring. One lady made me a molasses based mojito that was so earthy, with the tiniest hint of smoke. It was to be remembered. A hint of ephemeral honeysuckle.
Rating: 5 / 10 – The ethel vibe is strong, but once I get past it, both the nose and palate have something special. I’m nearly a 6 and as this smoothes out it should be something special.
