Tastes

I gave it three stars, and one of those is purely for the nose: intense scent of homemade marshmallows and vanilla bean cheesecake. Just love it. Sadly the sip doesn't quite follow through, coming off a bit thin and light to me - definitely sweet, but so shy I can hardly ask it to dance before it disappears. However that perfume is more than sufficient to get me interested in some of this distillery's more robust offerings...

Let's be real: the proof on this is not fooling around. Bottle lists 128 and the friends I've shared with say you can really tell. Even having largely immunized my tastebuds over the years this runs a bit hot and piquant. But ultimately I quite enjoy that aspect and you can tame things down with a bit of water should you wish. Playing it straight, I get a smooth, grainy sweetness that rises to float above the spiky warmth - almost like cornbread topped with thick caramel sauce. Flavorful but not rich or heavy. Nose will open your sinuses with a light chocolate edge and a tinge of white pepper. Adding water changes things up quite a bit. Nose shifts toward cinnamon cereal and the caramel flavors bloom to fill your mouth.