Cask No. 10.278

A superbly sherried aroma full of herbal tonic wines, apricots, candied citrus peels, crystallised ginger and aged mead greeted the Panel. A flutter of heather ales and salty earthiness hung in the background. With water it became really expressive, with pecan pie, dark malt loaf, boozy tiramisu, walnut and coffee cake, and salted liquorice. There was a lovely gamey touch underneath all that as well. The palate when neat was laden with dark fruit cordials, aniseed, orange travel sweets, old fashioned cocktails and pipe tobacco. Reduction brought out a lovely flavour of dried exotic fruits, prunes, dates and dark fruit teas with hibiscus flower, leading to a wonderfully salty and drying aftertaste full of salted almonds and Iberico ham. This was matured in a bourbon hogshead for nine years before being transferred to a first fill ex-bodega PX barrique.