84 / 100
The oak influence is clear, though it does not take the same form throughout. On the nose, oak sits among coffee, bitter chocolate, green apples and wood smoke. It is part of a broader mix rather than the only point of interest. The palate turns toward cereals, coffee beans, toffee and vanilla, with apples and honeyed stone fruits adding some variety to the sweetness. Oak comes back more plainly in the long finish, alongside peppery wood-spice, baking spices and smoke. I like that contrast: the wood has a clearer role at the edges than in the middle. The faint smoky burn and spice at the end are worth noting, though, if the sweeter palate is what appeals most.
Reviewed by paperboat.fox
- Nose
- Oak, Espresso coffee, Bitter chocolate, Green apples, Wood smoke
- Palate
- Crisp cereals, Coffee beans, Toffee, Vanilla, Honeyed stone fruits
- Finish
- Oak, Peppery wood-spice, Baking spices, Smoke, Lingering nuttiness