Hunter Laing Dailuaine Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Dailuaine 2007 (12 year old) 50%

Sherry/ Code: OMC2896/ Dist May 2007 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: July 2019

Aromas of raw, intense, leafy Oloroso. Malty and treacly with the dried fruit becoming slightly fragrant in character. With time there are some oily, meaty notes along with hints of green nuts.

The palate mirrors the nose – raw, leafy, gritty Oloroso with treacle, malt and baked fruit. Rich and oily with more dried fruit on the middle. Medium length. Smoky and meaty finish with the robust sherried fruit lingering.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Dailuaine 2009 (7 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Wine Finished

Code: HEP0234/ Dist: Oct 2009 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Dec 2016

A lovely, subtle and herbal nose with barley and a touch of winey, red fruit and smoke. Unusually for Dailuaine it is almost peated with late salty notes and smoked meat and spice.

The palate is full and rich, opening with syrup coated red fruit, earth and gritty wine cask tannins. Like the nose it has a subtle peat note and a lovely, malty intensity. Good, crisp and mineral finish, still a little tannic but the sweet, raspberry fruit notes balance. Finishes with a touch of dusty cocoa powder. Has it been finished in wine cask that previously held Islay whisky?

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Dailuaine 2005 (8 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Code: HEP0021/ Tasted: May 2014

An earthy and slightly industrial nose. Herbal barley with hints of honey, grass and buttery oak. The palate is a little hard with earthy barley, spice, grass and citrus. Reasonable length with hints of herbs and white fruit in the finish.

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Dailuaine 2007 (8 year old) 46%

Sherry/ Code: HEP0173/ Dist: Apr 2007 Btl: Mar 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

A fresh, citrus and barley nose with white fruit, white liquorice and hints of pineapple and banana. Very exuberant and juicy with not much sherry character, if any at all!

The palate is fuller and shows more barley and oak vanillins. Hints of custard, gentle apricot, pineapple and citrus follow. Lovely, crisp, mineral middle with the fruit becoming quite juicy. Long and vibrant with a mouth-watering citrus and mineral finish with lingering apricot and pineapple. Seriously juicy after-taste. It must have been a very re-used sherry cask because I can’t see any sherry character here!

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Dailuaine 2007 (10 year old) 46%

Sherry Butt/ Code: HEP0310/ Dist: Nov 2007 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Apr 2018

Dark-ish, fragrant and malty aromas with hints of manuka honey, but also a subtle earthiness. With time a touch of lime and slightly hard barley appears.

The palate opens with the dark malt and toffee’d oak. Hints of dark honey and barley follow. Good depth and length with a spicy, malty and cereally finish.

James MacArthur Dailuaine Tasting Notes

James MacArthur ‘Old Masters Cask Strength Selection’ Dailuaine 2000 (13 year old) 61.3%

Bourbon Cask 82/ Dist: 2000 Btl: 2013/ Tasted: Dec 2013

A fresh and ozoney nose with hints of citrus and grass. Light and vodka-esque in character. With time the aromas become very citric with lemon and lime coming through quite powerfully. Quite juicy with hints of straw and fragrant barley.

The palate is light and airy. Slightly oily with a touch of lemon and barley. The alcohol bites on the middle as a little spice comes through as well. Quite long and grassy. Pleasant if a little simple.

Water makes the nose and the palate extremely neutral with only a smidge of barley and vanilla apparent.

James MacArthur ‘Old Masters Cask Strength Selection’ Dailuaine 2001 (13 year old) 61.3%

Bourbon/ Dist: 2001 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Dec 2014

Fresh and lightly grassy aromas with a touch of citrus and warm vanilla oak. The barley shows a slightly gristy character along with hints of white fruit.

The palate is slightly fuller than the nose with more barely character. The oils are a more prominent as well which blankets the grassiness a touch. Long, sharp, citrus finish.

With water the nose becomes beautifully aromatic with the white peach and pear showing a honey glaze. However the palate is a little watery, oily and overly simplistic.

Dewar Rattray Dailuaine Tasting Notes

Dewar Rattray Cask Collection Dailuaine 2011 (8 year old) 57.2%

First Fill Bourbon Barrel 800470/ Dist: Nov 2011 Btl: Sept 2020/ Tasted: Nov 2020

A tight and alcoholic nose with dusty/ gristy barley and large chunks of creamy oak, buttery vanilla and toffee. The oak is rather dominant which gives it a crowd-pleasing character but there is just enough green, crisp, citrus fruit to stop it being one dimensional.

The palate is tight and barley’d and shows more freshness and citric character because the oak is being held in check by the alcohol. Hints of juicy apricot, pineapple, straw and subtle vanilla. Lightly creamy and toffee’d finish, which is gorgeously smooth and sweet, although the alcohol stops it being too sweet. Hints of gooseberry and lime in the after-taste.

Water makes the nose leaner and crisper as the oak regresses into the background. Malt, barley and citrus now. The palate is still fresh and definitely more barley focused. The finish is a little dry but pleasantly toasty.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Rattray Dailuaine 1998 (16 year old) 55.2%

Bourbon, re-racked into Sherry/ Cask: 5125/ Dist: 1998 Btl: 2015/ Tasted: Feb 2015

Very soft and honeyed aromas. Displaying more of the dusty American oak than the sherry although the sherry adds a lovely sweetness and spiciness. Lightly herbal and mineral with time.

The palate is soft and barley’d with hints of honey and coffee. A little tannic but they soften on the middle as the fleshy apricot and citrus fruit comes through. Quite a dry finish.

Dilution brings out the herbal sherry and gives the fruit a light sugar dusting. It makes the palate simpler with a light sugar-water character. Lovely spicy finish now though.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Dailuaine 1996 (17 year old) 56.9%

Bourbon Cask 10622/ Dist: 1996 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Aug 2014

Intense, castor sugar coated lemon/ lime aromas greet the nose. It’s a real sweety but the sharp/ sour citrus balances. Dusty almost gristy barley follows along with a touch of milky oak and lightly herbal notes. With time a touch of dunnage warehouse appears plus dark, gingery spices.

The palate is a little dry and dusty but some lovely honey compensates. Hints of damp wood and straw follow, which add to the feeling of maturity beyond its years. A touch of sweet barley comes through on the middle and there is plenty of crisp citrus on the finish. Slightly grassy after-taste. I would avoid diluting it as it doesn’t take to water particularly well.

Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Dailuaine 1992 (21 year old) 55.5%

Bourbon Cask 920003120/ Dist: 1992 Btl: 2013/ Tasted: Oct 2013

A lovely nose of dense, buttery and sawdusty oak with hints of lightly sweetened honey and granulated sugar coated apricot. A touch of crisp green fruit balances the sugars and some creamy vanillins appear. A lovely maturity to the aromas with the oak adding a touch of toffee and becoming slightly perfumed with time.

The palate is soft and opens with the relatively sweet oak with hints of honeycomb, barley and supple apricot fruit. Some lightly coffee’d tannins arrive on the middle along with hints of grass, lime and gooseberry to inject some balancing freshness. The finish is quite oily but the fresh green fruit and citrus notes linger as the light coffee’d notes return in the after-taste. A lovely, mature dram!

Douglas McGibbon Dailuane Tasting Notes

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuaine 2002 (10 year old) 46%

Sherry/Code: PRV0943/ DMG9195

Dist: Oct 2002 Btl: Nov 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2012

A slightly oily nose with hints of white liquorice, barley and caramel/ toffee. With time it does become slightly perfumed.

Lightly oiled on the palate with some soft spice and oily apricot. Briefly quite toffee’d on the middle with a smidge of marzipan and a good lightly orange finish. I later found out that this was matured in a sherry cask, which must have been well used!

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuaine 2003 (10 year old) 46%

Bourbon/Code: PRV1075/ DMG10181

Dist: Jun 2003 Btl: Jan 2014/ Tasted: Feb 14

A spicy and dusty nose with hints of white fruit, white liquorice, fragrant barley, oxidised white wine along with a slight soapy/ oily note. With time some citrus becomes apparent.

The palate opens with some sour citrus, soft spice and a touch of creamy oak. The developing sugars balance the sourness well and a touch of white liquorice and Sauvignon Blanc-esque herbal notes appear in the finish.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuaine 2004 (10 year old) 46%

Sherry Butt/ Code: PRV1128/ DMG10551

Dist: Aug 2004 Btl: Dec 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015

Earthy and a little cardboardy on the nose with hints of sweet spice, hard barley, white liquorice and fennel.

Again the palate is a bit industrial with burnt biscuits, hard barley and light sherried notes. Long and spicy with an oily after-taste.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuane 2000 (11 year old) 46%

Sherry Butt/ Code: PRV0778/ DMG8012

Dist Apr 2000 Btl: Feb 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2012

A heavy, herbal honey nose. Its like hitting a brick wall it’s so dense! A pleasant citrus note along with some light, obviously refill sherry notes as well. The palate opens with vanilla toffee coated white peach and apricot. Quite fleshy, full and rounded. Becoming more toffee’d towards the finish with a soft, spiced finish. Quite pleasant.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuiane 2004 (11 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Sherry Finished

Code: PRV1152/ DMG10942

Dist: Oct 2004 Btl: Oct 2015/ Tasted: Nov 2015

A little neutral on the nose to begin with. It becomes quite herbal with time and a touch of barley, white fruit and citrus appears.

The palate opens with some sweet-ish barley, white fruit and a touch of citrus. Relatively straightforward and a little short with a late bitter spice note in the finish.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuaine 2004 (11 year old) 46%

Sherry Finished/ Code: PRV1151/ Dist Oct 2004 Btl: Oct 2015/ Tasted: Dec 2015

The nose is young and a tad on the neutral side with hints of white fruit, citrus and a subtle sherried sweetness.

The palate is young and a little raw with hints of barley, apricot and soft spice. Slightly citric with na slightly hot, peppery finish.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuaine 2001 (12 year old) 46%

Sherry Finish/ Code: PRV1109/ DMG10451

Dist: Sept 2001 Btl: Oct 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014

A wonderfully crisp nose with a delightful honeyed character. It reminds me of an Alsacian wine with hints of white fruit and grass.

The palate is very much like the nose – fresh and citric with some lovely honeyed white fruit. Very mouth-filling with a long, juicy, grassy finish. It must have spent minutes finishing in sherry as it doesn’t seem to have had any influence on the spirit.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Dailuaine 1997 (15 year old) 46%

Refill Sherry Hogshead/ Code: PRV0991/ DMG9641

Dist: June 1997 Btl: Apr 2013/ Tasted: May 2013

A little neutral on the nose with hints of white fruit, barley and grass. The sherry wood is very subtle adding a light dried fruit note.

The palate opens with some soft white fruit along with some delicate citrus notes. Like the nose the sherry cask influence is very light which allows a touch of lemon peel, grass and lightly baked fruit to emerge. A very intense almost tart citrus finish and a lightly spiced after-taste.

JHouse of Macduff Dailuaine Tasting Notes

House of Macduff ‘Whisky Life Series’ Dailuane 1989 (13 year old) 50%

Bourbon Cask 4600/ Dist: 1989 Btl: 2003/ Tasted: June 2003

Another ex-Bourbon cask whisky. The nose displays a great earthy intensity. Delicate and elegant with complex aromas of grapes/wine, nuts, pale fruit with a touch of spice.

The palate is very pure and wonderfully intense with flavours of pale fruits, wine/grapes and a touch of cereal/ earth. It finishes with a fruity flourish and a slight hint of peat.

MacPhail’s Dailuaine Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhails ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ Dailuaine 1995 (15 year old) 43%

Refill Sherry Hogshead/ Dist: 1995 Btl: 2010/ Tasted: June 2011

A big, herbal, sweetish sherry beginning before moving into linseed oil and turps territory. It’s surprisingly industrial in style and slightly soapy with hints of burnt coffee.

The palate is tight and hard, again verging on the industrial. Plenty of herbal sherry with some lovely building spices though. A surprisingly alcoholic middle carrying a peppery intensity but the soft maltiness attempts to add some balance. It’s an odd one to say the least, a bit hard, but sort of entertaining, a bit like S&M I guess!

Douglas Laing Dailuaine Tasting Notes

Douglas Laing Old Particular Dailuaine 2008 (10 year old) 48.4%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0596/ DL12541

Dist: Jul 2008 Btl: Jul 2018/ Tasted: Nov 2018

The nose is quite dense and aromatic with plenty of malt and barley plus sweet white fruit, grass, lime and gooseberry. Not much in the way of sherry notes and with time it becomes a little perfumed.

The palate is rich and malty with a touch more oak vanillins and subtle grippy tannins. Fleshy apricot, apple and sweet pear come through on the middle and again there is hardly any sherry character. Lightly grassy, malty and barley’d finish.

 Douglas Laing Old Particular Dailuaine 2003 (12 year old) 48.4%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0287/ DL11076

Dist: Sept 2003 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: May 2016

Youthful, gristy and grassy aromas with barley and tart, green citrus. A little spirit with late hints of vanilla oak and earth.

The palate is a little sweeter and fuller with barley, apricot and set honey. Hints of grass and vanilla on the middle. Medium length with a tart citrus, vanilla and softly spiced finish.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Dailuaine 1997 (15 year old) 48.4%

Bourbon/ Code: OLD0201/ DL10778

Dist: Apr 1997 Btl: May 2015/ Tasted: July 2015

Lovely, full and honeyed aromas of castor sugar sprinkled white fruit, apricot, banana, lychee and mango, followed by a touch of creamy vanilla. Now that’s seriously fruity and seriously perfumed with time!

The palate displays more barley and a little less tropical character. The oak is a touch grittier and hints of honey, tropical fruit and coffee come through on the middle but the barley remains the focal point. Long and juicy with hints of grass, vanilla, and nutmeg. Lovely almost pulped agave-like fruit after-taste. Now that’s good!

Douglas Laing Old Particular Dailuaine 2002 (15 year old) 48.4%

Sherry Butt/ Code: OLD0490/DL12016

Dist: Mar 2002 Btl: Aug 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017

The nose is quite dense with herbal honey, barley and flora/ fauna notes. Hints of perfumed white fruit, follow and it becomes quite fresh as the mineral notes assert. I can’t say that I’m getting much sherry though.

The palate is full barley’d and honeyed with mature baked fruit and vanilla. Freshens on the middle as the citrus arrives. Pleasantly spiced finish with liquorice, herbs and mineral laced white fruit. Again not much in the way of sherry but it’s still quite attractive.

Douglas Laing Old Particular Dailuaine 2004 (15 year old) 48.4%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0805/ DL13509

Dist: Aug 2004 Btl: Sept 2019/ Tasted: Nov 2019

The nose is malty and fruity with mentholated sub-tropical fruit – banana, pineapple and apricot. Quite voluptuous and Mackmyra-esque with a touch of sweet oak.

The palate opens fresher with more citrus along with the sweet oak and estery fruit which moves in fairly quickly. Subtly spiced and malty middle. |Good length with citrus and gooseberry returning to balance the sweet apricot, pineapple and apple. I must admit that I wasn’t expecting that riot of fruit!

Douglas Laing Old Particular Dailuiane 1997 (16 year old) 55.2%

Bourbon Barrel/ Code: OLP0079/ DL30067

Dist: Apr 1997 Btl: Feb 2014/ Tasted: Mar 2014

A sensational, big, gristy, honeyed barley nose with hints of lime, clarified butter, jasmine, pear, banana and apricot. Wow. I’ve never come across such a lush, tropical and fruit Dailuaine before, I’m blown away! With time it becomes very oaky and I’d imagine that it has been aged in first fill American oak. With time, some lightly grainy spices appear along with hints of lightly oiled, lightly oxidised and dusty fruit.

The palate opens with a big hit of creamy oak. A really mouthful of delicious vanilla and butter with a thread of zingy lemon cutting through. The middle displays a lovely intensity of dusty spice and is bursting with sub-tropical fruit and barley. Very long and exuberant with a little bitter dark chocolate and coffee on the finish, but that sweet fruit really lingers.

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Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Dailuaine 1997 (14 year old) 50%

Refil Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2030/ DL6995

Dist: Apr 1997 Btl: Apr 2011/ Tasted: June 2011

A lovely crisp and high toned nose – floral marc and perfumed white flowers mingle with some grassy notes. Lovely balancing buttery/ toasty oak, accented by a touch of sweet honey. A lovely, harmoinious nose, classic light Spey.

The citrus and sharp alcohol hit the palate first and it definitely needs a drop of water as the alcohol is very intrusive. It just hints at some honeyed sub tropical fruit, banana and oak.

With water the nose becomes more floral and grassy. Almost Lowland-esque as is oftent the case with light Speys. Oooh a gorgeous twang of pure, fruity orange and orange blossom appears now. Glenkinchie……… take note please! The palate has become a touch lactic/ milky now that the alcohol bite has diminished. Gently sweet rose water, honey and oak now shows. I must say that it’s a bit short and simple, although the nose is delightful.

Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Dailuaine 1997 (15 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: OMC2166/ DL8240

Dist: Apr 1997 Btl: Apr 2012/ Tasted: June 2012

An exceedingly fresh nose with cut grass notes followed by some lovely sweet spice and very creamy oak. Wonderfully balanced with oak adding hints of toffee and crème caramel. With time the aromas become quite full with a baked apple character emerging.

The palate is lightly oiled with slightly fleshy fruit, banana skin and oily toffee’d oak. Still wonderfully clean and balanced by the alcohol and some citrus notes. A superb spicy middle with those citrus notes ramped up along with a touch of barley and finally the creamy oak returns berfore slowly fading. Very refreshing and very nice!

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Douglas Laing Single Minded Dailuaine 2007 (7 year old) 41.5%

Sherry/ Code: SIN0011/ Dist: Mar 2007 Btl: Nov 2014/ Tasted: Dec 2014

A nose of violet pot-pourri and coriander leaf and a touch of sherry spice. A little barley appears but the nose dumbs down a bit as the oils kick in.

The palate is quite soft and opens with the lightly spiced, sherried fruit and barley. Less interesting than the nose with a very slight cardboard note, which morphs into a light tobacco/ coffee. Quite a citric finish with a tequila-esque peppery after-taste.

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Douglas Laing Premier Barrel Dailuaine 2008 (7 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Code: PBR0146/ Dist: July 2008 Btl: June 2016/ Tasted: July 2016

Slightly spirit and youthful aromas of raw cereal, citrus, grass and latent honey.

The palate shows a touch more barley character along with some bubblegummy white fruit. Young and cereally finish with lingering grass and white fruit.

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Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2009 (8 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1328/ DL10237

Dist: Aug 2009 Btl: Aug 2017/ Tasted: Oct 2017

Aromas of floral, white fruit and barley. That’s a pleasantly aromatic nose. Hints of vanilla shortbread and grapefruit.

The palate opens with sweet barley, vanilla and hints of citrus. Simple, but pleasantly mouth-filling. Continues with a palate cleansing citrus finish.

Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2010 (8 year old) 46%

Sherry Butt/ Code: PRV1431/ DL13103

Dist: Dec 2010 Btl: Feb 2019/ Tasted: Apr 2019

Aromas of taught barley, waxy apricot and a touch of honey and toffee’d oak. Late gooseberry skin and nettles.

The palate is quite toffee’d and malty with hints of honey, barley and vanilla. Straightforward but deep with a long, malty, slightly waxy finish and toffee after-taste.

Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2007 (9 year old) 46%

Sherry Butt/ Code: PRV1203/ DL11250

Dist: Mar 2007 Btl: May 2016/ Tasted: July 2016

Quite a heavily barley’d nose with menthol and herbal refill sherry notes. The oak is pleasantly dusty and gives the impression of greater age. A touch of treacle and wonderfully fragrant, sub-Armagnac-esque dried fruit appears along with late hints of greengage and kiwi.

The palate is again quite weighty and full with hints of honey with a touch of herbs, treacle, prune and raisin. Like the nose it feels a little older than 9 years with a good spicy finish with cinnamon, cardamom and lingering lime, oak and dried fruit. 

Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2007 (9 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1245/ DL11504

Dist: Jan 2007 Btl: Nov 2016/ Tasted: Jan 2017

Dense and straw-like barley aromas, but also a little feinty. Not much in the way of oak but there’s a little late malt and sub-industrial notes.

The palate is a little watery and industrial with hard barley and burnt caramel. Short with a little sweet toffee in the finish.

Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2007 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: PRV1265/ DL11618

Dist: Jan 2007 Btl: Feb 2017/ Tasted: Sept 2017

Earthy and feinty nose with hard barley and ascetic notes. Pretty charmless stuff!

Watery and cardboardy on the palate with granulated sugar and a touch of oak. Those flavours clash horribly! Feinty, hard finish.

Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2007 (10 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: PRV1300/ DL11777

Dist: Mar 2007 Btl: May 2017/ Tasted: Aug 2018

The nose is quite full and honeyed with white chocolate, barley, apricot, banana skin, gooseberry and vanilla.

The palate is full and honeyed, showing a touch more oak. Quite malty, a little straightforward but showing a good depth with a subtle herbal, gooseberry finish and crisp, mineral after-taste.

 Douglas Laing Provenance Dailuaine 2009 (10 year old) 46%

Bourbon/ Code: PRV01490/ Dist: Aug 2009 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Jan 2020

The nose is quite neutral and grainy with lemon and honeysuckle notes. It shows some barley and late harvested botrytis/ earthy notes with time but it also becomes a bit acerbic.

The palate is fresh and citric and faintly industrial. Like the nose there is a sort of late harvested winey honey character with a touch of malt. Good length with lingering gooseberry, pear and green apple. Light gritty and coffee’d tannin after-taste.

Berry Brothers Dailuaine Tasting Notes

Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Own Selection’ Dailuaine 1985 (22 year old) 46%

Bourbon Cask BBR1064/ Dist: 1985 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: Oct 2008

Big and boisterous, yet strangely reserved at the same time. Idiosyncratic is the word that springs to mind. It takes awhile before the aromas get going and there’s some delightful honeycomb, coffee spices and orange fruit. There is definitely some depth here and a perfumed note adds to the weight of heavy fruit, which is enveloped by the moist honey.

The palate is quiet shy and gentle, but it builds nicely from its earthy, malty beginning. Then the pure honey and mature, rich, sweet fruit flavours kick in. It seems to want to go further but it strangely doesn’t. It feels like the oak is holding it back and one is left with unrequited feels towards this dram.

Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Own Selection’ Dailuaine 1974 (32 year old) 46%

Bourbon Casks B111/2 Dist: 1974 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: Oct 2008

Much like the 22 year old its quiet reserved but displays a greater degree of earthy, mature fruit and honey. The oak drifts in with some crème caramel notes and with time the oak becomes more prevalent and toffees. A crisp barley note tries its best to balance it out.

The palate is like the nose, quiet oaky to begin with. Tannic and mouth drying with crème caramel notes. Then whoosh, it’s like the hand break has come off and the rich, mature fruit and honey comes bounding in, topped off by some lovely gingery spice. It descends into a bitter/ sweet finish which is liberally laced with wood splinters and leaves quiet an oily coating to the tongue. I have to say that I’m, totally unsure of this one and would struggle to recommend it at that price.