sweetish, wax, woodruff, honey mead, vanilla
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in the Blender's Glass still: young fresh and sweetish herbs mmmh
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slightly artificial sweetness
herbal candies
Now something Maggi comes through and the furniture polish of megabreit wink
floral note in the background
a touch of cucumber water
caramel

liquid cool honey on the lips
He heats himself up on the tongue
unfolds its herbs and some broth
tingles
oily, wood, some glue
on the palate ripe sweet cereals, citrus warm
the honey sweet dissolves sweetly
becomes too bitter wood with seasoning

a very long finish
yes there is the crumbly almost dry apple - extremely clear at the very end of the departure
and barrel slightly bitter / gummy

Lots of yellow/orange fruit notes.
Right after the pour there is a very noticeable sour-sweet smell to it. Strangely this "evaporates" rather quickly in the glass, giving way to more clear fresh citrus notes.
Faint woody vanilla. Wafts of candy apple.

Creamy, almost fat mouthfeel on arrival.
Sweet fresh citrus.
Spice and ABV is presented at a level where it is ready to enjoy, who in their right mind would mess with this?
Delightfully light and sweet, balanced by moderate spice so it doesn't appear neither queasy nor boring.

The fresh citrus continues into a medium length finish.
So fresh that it reminds me a bit of a lemon/menthol mouth wash.

Starts with sour apple and bitter honey. The sour note passes quickly. Then bread dough, malt, vanilla are added. Caramel sweet, beautiful spice (wood? Herbs?).

Pleasant start with tidy wood. Hui, directly pretty dry. Grapes, vanilla, honey. The apple from the nose remained in it.
Strong spice mixture with pepper, nutmeg and chervil; along with the woody note palatal. Almonds, milk chocolate. Warm caramel, creme brulee. You can literally chew on the wood. Fine-herb.

Medium to long, woody, vanilla sweet, orange peel. Still with bitter herbs, which provide a certain bitterness.

The 10 could easily pass for an unpeated Glen Scotia. It has that certain funky mustiness (somehow pleasantly sour/lactic), plus some damp wood. But, it has to be said, it's also an overachiever for its age, with an extremely rich and creamy and fruity ex-bc nose that seems a good deal older than ten years. I get yellow fruits (sour plums, apricots), grimy hessian, packed dirt floor, old and slightly musty wood as well as some beeswax and olive oil. There's also something indistinctly herbal, maybe juniper? It's an all-bourbon nose, but I'd say it's more autumnal than summery, if that makes sense. Impressive! 87 points.

The 11 incorporates a similar funk, but generally comes across as somehow "cleaner" and better composed – the oak in particular seems more crisp. This leaves more room for the waxiness / oiliness and a citric side (grapefruit, lime, kiwi) that the darker, dirtier wood influence of 10 apparently smothered over. Definitely also beeswax here, while the oiliness may go more toward sunflower oil and a lovely dustiness (old wine cellar or attic, but not a damp one). This, too, seems older than its age statement. Certainly propelled by some really good ex-bourbon barrels and hoggies, but I wouldn't call it cask-dominated. The oak is never peppery or herbal or tart or any other word that comes to mind when there's over-the-top first-fill action going on. Instead it's just creamy and sweet and oily. An outstanding nose for an 11-year-old! I prefer it to the 10 and am tempted to go to 88 points on the nose.

The 10: Creamy and oily mouthfeel right from the get-go. Nicely sweet as well, like a bourbon minus the overactive oak. It's only halfway through that some fruity acidity and more pepper enter into the mix. Here you get something like redcurrant or kiwi alongside some white pepper and grated ginger. The last third belongs to the wood, and this curious funk that reminds me of Glen Scotia. Which wouldn't be bad in and by itself, but after a few sips the cumulative impression is that there are indeed some substandard, musty barrels that have found their way into this vatting. I had the palate at 86 initially, but I'm subtracting a point for the weird woodiness at the end. So, 85 points.

The 11: Acidic, yet simultaneously creamy/waxy start, then the oils keep building and reaching all through the flavor development. Oscillates back and forth between creamy/waxy/oily and fruit/citric on the tongue. Man, what a texture! I am again seriously and pleasantly surprised. Flavorwise, you get maize, golden syrup, sour/sweet yellow stone fruits, buttered and salted popcorn, chamomile tea, shortbread, and vanilla crescents. Crazy good, 88 points again.

The 10: Yeah, there's something wrong with the oak, sadly enough. For me, it ruins the experience and depresses the score below the 70 mark. Too bad, otherwise this was a great bottling. But it has to be said that I'm sensitive in this regard and have, in the past, "disqualified" bottlings for their moldy oak that other aficionados have found totally okay. So whether or not you can get on board with this finish might depend on your taste in oak flavor. For me, this moldy note makes for 69 points at most.

The 11: Not insanely long, but certainly more pronounced than it would have any right to be, considering the age. Waxy, with mellow bourbon sweetness and still some ripe apricot. Just enough spiciness at the end to make for a pleasant tingle, but not an outright burn. The bourbon casks drive it, yet there is no overt oakiness or questionable wood influence. Super oily. Leaves a slightly salty film on the lips. Really impressive – and really good – again. 87 points.

This is like Spring in a glass, fragrant and full of fruit.
Orange, apricot, peach, banana and golden delicious apple.
Vanilla, refresher sweet, the one that had sherbet in the middle.
This really should be nosed outdoors to appreciate it a bit more.

Delicate sweet and spicy citrus as it says on the bottle, can't argue with that.
Refreshing and creamy on the palate, this really is a treat for the taste buds.
To be honest I could drink this all day and everyday.
Again the 46.7% is bang on and why wouldn't it be.
Absolutely no water needed and i don't care what Dave Broom says.

A medium finish and that citrus spice really comes into it's own and as it fades it's almost willing you to pour another glass.

First it's all about cheese. Dough, apple and vanilla.

Cardboard, dough, cheese, orange, apple and salt.

Dough, vanilla, apple and orange.

with water:

sweet, cereal, vanilla, and very strong plum. You think you have a plum brandy. I did not have that so far.

with water

sweet, not aggressive, round. The alcohol is well integrated. Then something bitter on the tongue. Very easy to feel the oak. Here comes the plum again, though not as strong as in the nose. But you have the impression of drinking a whisky Obstler.

with water

long finish. This sweet bitterness remains on the tongue. Feeling very little of the oak flavor. Astringent. A musty note to the end.


In conclusion: tastes like licked on the bitter damp musty oak barrel in which previously plum brandy was in it.

Very floral and fruity. Light glue, something rancid (like old milk or vomit), but not as bad as it reads. Some vanilla, apples, pears, green grapes. Over time, the rancid gets stronger. Everything is very present and easy to see.

Sparkling, very clear apple, vanilla, pepper, very pleasant oak spice, malt.

Fruity, spicy, medium length.