Tastes

Flaviar advent calendar #24 Nose: vanilla cream, butterscotch, hint of ripe banana, light honeyed malt. Light almond. Ever so slight floral note. Palate: honey malt, orange peel, almost a hint of dried cranberry. Fig. Light amounts of chocolate, a hint of cinnamon, mild spiciness. Finish: oak spice and cinnamon. Fig jam. Hints of warming charred oak

Nose: dark dried fruit, cherry, Sherry. A little bit of black pepper, and some dark baking spices. Behind it all there is a substantial peat reek, but it is wrapped in a fruity dark candied sweetness. A hint of oak and smoke Palate: decisively fruity, earthy Sherry, a little zing of what I might classify as citrus as it transitions to the finish. Peat comes out throughout and evolves throughout. Dark sticky fruit, hints of oak and cinnamon and other baking spices. Moderate salinity that is not quite masked but balanced with the rest of the profile Finish: plums and dark cherries, phenolic peat, warming. Soft oak tannin. Salinity comes out most at the beginning of the finish

Having this after a brewery excursion so my palate is definitely affected. Nose: honey, milky caramel, a hint of maple. Stewed fruit, poached/candied red apple. Hint of wood varnish. Palate: orchard fruit, caramel, mild earthy sherry elements. A hint of green apple bite. some chewy sweet malt. Sweet Lemon zest as it transitions to finish. Finish: definitely getting the buttery element here. Slightly waxy. Mild tannins.

Brown Strauss Select: 2-2-0-4-2 Nose: corn, brown sugar cherry, charred oak. Palate: caramel, charred oak, cinnamon, brown sugar. Mild chocolate notes. Sweet and dark. Tiny bit if maple syrup. A hint of spiciness. Finish: wood spice, warm, moderate length drying oak tannin.

Flaviar advent calendar day #23 Nose: spice, Brown sugar, herbal and floral elements. Pistachio and a bit of oak. Palate: spicy, rye bread, caramel sweetness, chai spice. Strong oak, a bit of honey and a mild earthiness. Peppery. A hint of malt. Herbal/floral elements that are light. Finish: short, oaky tannin with honey.

Flaviar advent calendar day #22 Nose: banana, honey, cereal. Vanilla, apples and strong pear. Very fruit forward Palate: the fruitiness continues strongly. Honeyed pear, malt, slight cinnamon and oak. Vanilla. Crisp apple. There's a honey/floral element here too that is light and I cannot quite put my finger on it. Finish: light caramel, apple, light tannins a hint of spice

Last of the bottle. Nose: peat and smoke, light orchard fruit, vanilla. Sweet oak. Salt air. Palate: peat, malt, gentle sweetness. Salinity. Vanilla, mild oak. Citrus zest. Smoked meat. French wine casks are noticeable here. Finish: zesty, moderate length. Wood tannin and some phenols. Peaty.

Nose: smoke, ash, briquettes, and smoked meats. Peat, salt air, seaweed. Some sweeter malt peaks through a little, a hint of brown sugar and slight dried fruit elements. Palate: big peat and smoke here initially. Significant ash/creosote. Definitely some honey glazed BBQ meats. Strong funky peat and moderate salinity. As it coats the palate, more sweet elements come out, caramel, honey, chewy malt. Finish: ashy, brisket slathered in BBQ sauce. Lengthy. Phenolic elements come in late and linger for a while.

Flaviar advent calendar day #20 Nose: cherry, sweet fruity aroma, some toasty oak spice, some mild caramel and cinnamon. Slight orange zest. A light smoke Palate: caramel, toffee. A little bit of hazelnut. This is a rich bourbon. A bit bready. Slight hint of citrus zest. Spicy wood. Definitely getting both corn and rye grain Finish: chocolate starts it very briefly, then fades off into a mildly spicy and warm oak tannic note. After a few minutes of finishing the last sip, and having water, there's a significant eucalyptus/herbal note lingering on the tongue.

Flaviar advent calendar day #19 Nose: creamy vanilla, toffee, citrus zest, honey. Hints of cinnamon and light chocolate. Mildly sweet caramel. Just the slightest hint of cereal Palate: zesty, orange, creamy sweet vanilla. Definitely a dessery whisky. Honeyed malt, some peppery spice. Light oak toast. A very slight chocolate note. Sweet yet bright and lively. Finish: candied sweetness fades into a warm pleasant oak with a mild spice