Fresh green apples and oranges give the aromas a lively start, while oaky vanilla, pencil shavings and smoke make them less simply fruit-led. On the palate, warm bread is the detail that catches my attention. It gives the toffee and vanilla sweetness something more grounded to sit alongside, with apple skin and slight minerality adding contrast. The drying wood influence is a reservation for me. Alongside crème brûlée and treacle tarts, it suggests a sweet, fairly full palate that may not always feel neatly balanced. The spicy finish, with its fresh, floral malt, brings the malt character back into focus. I find that contrast interesting rather than wholly convincing, but there is enough here to hold my attention.
Reviewed by paperboat_atlas
- Nose
- Fresh green apples, Oranges, Oaky vanilla, Smoke
- Palate
- Warm bread, Toffee and vanilla, Apple skin, Drying wood influence
- Finish
- Spicy, Slightly nutty coffee cake, Fresh, floral malt