Cask No. 112.73

The nose was a sweet and savoury mix – and a rather exciting one, we thought – brandy-soaked raisins and chilli chocolate, honeyed carrots, baked bananas and balsamic glaze over goat’s cheese and figs. The mouth-feel was syrupy and rounded with butterscotch, dark chocolate, salted caramel and ginger cake sweetness plus slightly more elusive umami notes, sandalwood and nutmeg were evident. The reduced nose made us imagine sipping sweet Madeira wine on a leather sofa. The palate had classic woody sweetness – toffee and caramelized sugar, cinnamon toast, treacle scones and toasted nuts; then ginger, white pepper and oak on the finish.