SMWS notes: A rich and heady aroma suggested polished mahogany furniture and bows laden with slightly overripe plums and apricots, then heavy notes of shoe polish, chamois leather and plum eau de vie. Reduction brought more playful aspects such as fruit pastilles, peach yoghurt, ripe melon, caramel wafer biscuits and custard doughnuts. In the background were notes of polished hardwoods and oak-matured dark ales. The mouth when neat was full fat and dense in texture – many softwood spice flavours, along with treacle, lemon cough medicines, candied grapefruit and some nicely balanced wood tannins. Water brought notes of caramelised banana, buttered fruit loaf, light sooty notes, hessian and cloves. Matured in a bourbon hogshead for nine years before being transferred to a first fill, hybrid 60 per cent American and 40 per cent European oak hogshead with toasted heads.