The appeal here is the shift from a delicate, sherried nose to a punchy, briny palate. Tobacco and tea run through both, moving from tobacco leaves on the nose to sweeter tobacco and smoked tea on the palate. Toffee gives the salt a counterpoint, while the finish brings sweetness and smoke together with liquorice. There is a less approachable side to the nose: motor oil and turpentine sit among the leather, pastry and almond sweetness. Those notes may divide opinion, but they also make the contrast with the sweeter palate more interesting. For a preference that leans toward straightforward malt or oak, this would be a different direction; the supported character is coastal, earthy and smoky rather than restrained. The long finish gives that contrast room to carry through.
Reviewed by cinnamon_notebook
- Nose
- tobacco leaves, cigar ashes, almond sweetness, leather, sea air, sherried character
- Palate
- briny and salty, sweeter tobacco, smoked tea, toffee, hints of lemon, peaty and earthy finish
- Finish
- long, sweet and smoky, toffee, liquorice