Tastes

Color: Summer sunset. Nose: Heathered peat with light wood smoke and apricots. A little lemon zest emerges with pine as well. Palate: Bright and round with red berries, mild toffee, and glazed salmon; fruit preserves set the stage for barbecued fare. Finish: Pleasantly dry and a touch earthy, with a woody, floral character. Diluted: Nose is all campfire s'mores on warm graham crackers, while the palate softens to honey and finish layers into a rich meatiness. Dynamite.

Color: Chestnut. Nose: Red wine and freshly-stained wood, with a spicy, cidery dryness. Palate: Rare pork chop topped with cinnamon-spiced baked apples. Nutmeg, gingerbread, and raisins linger. Finish: Some maple and shortbread, but sort of boring. Diluted: Nose is spongy and sweet, like coffee cake. A little more vanilla and less spice on the palate, but the finish is limp and powdery - this is really very good for the price point, but hard to ignore its exit.

Color: Light auburn. Nose: Fresh red apples, wet fall leaves, orchard blossoms and sweet cake icing. Light pears and peaches peek through, too. Palate: Tobacco and mint forward, with a heavy dose of cinnamon and cloves. Butterscotch sweetness lengthens the profile. Finish: Dash of salt, about like caramel corn. Medium dry, with a light simmering heat. Diluted: Nose is more candied, with a little cocoa. Palate is softer, mellowed with powdered sugar, but still some rye spice. Finish is shorter and sharper, with a light mineral water aftereffect.

Color: Rose gold. Nose: Full and fruity with cherries and cranberries joining ripe vanilla pods. A little sweet citrus (leaning oranges) and wildflowers as well. Palate: Waxy texture saturated with more vanilla and that same lingering mandarin orange. Balanced confectionary notes meet a floral array. Finish: Lingering and unbothered, if not a little insubstantial. Simple and starchy at heart - reminiscent of waffles. Diluted: Apple pie and lemon squares leap off the nose, which is still the star. Palate somewhat unexpectedly loses some fruit/flora in exchange for mild, buttery sweetness. Finish shrinks further - feels like there's complexity to be unlocked with water here, but at this ABV you might be afraid of drowning it.

Color: Dirty rainwater Nose: Vanilla pods soaked in sea spray over a tidal pool. Mild lemon meringue brightens it a bit. Palate: Spicy chili peppers with bright cereal malts. Ashy, charry peat smoke as well, but very malt-forward. Finish: Meaty and salty, punctuated by a lingering, sooty persistence. Diluted: Nose recalls lemons, limes, and a little caramelly sweetness. Palate really opens up to sweeter notes, including white chocolate and candied nuts roasted over a campfire. Finish remains sturdy, but a little sweeter.

Color: Reduced syrup Nose: Candy, full of confectionary notes of fruits and milk chocolate fudge. Spun sugar and citrus preserves. Palate: Light caramel and vanilla cake frosting conceal a punchy, mineralic core. Black liquorice surprises, and lightly herbal. Finish: A little harsher than expected, but very substantial body. Dryness reminiscent of fresh oak shavings. Diluted: Nose finds some cherries and a little rainy foliage. On the palate, smoother and milder, while finishing easier but shallower (and a little grassy)

Color: Dark molasses. Nose: Chocolate overwhelms, but is lightened a bit by roasted peanuts and grilled pineapple. Assertive but not cloying nutmeg and (yes) sherry. Some ground coffee fragrance as well. Palate: Apple pie with cinnamon crust, black treacle, orange rind, and fresh maple syrup. Spicy and dark with a hefty mouthfeel. Finish: Almost arboreal. Barrel wood, yes, but also pine nuts and sap. Lingers with a savory bitterness, like crispy dark bacon. Diluted: Nose is *much* more floral with water, and adds a sweet mellow caramel as well. Palate is both sweeter (honey, brown sugar) and meatier (pork belly, sweet potatoes). Finish holds a minty, loamy version of its forest character.

Color: Dark maple. Nose: Chocolate fudge and hot buttered cider meet a lighter dessert note, like crème brûlée or vanilla ice cream. Palate: Leather notes arrive with sprigs of mint and tobacco. Doesn't quite keep the nose's richness, but pleasantly herbal. Finish: A little flat, but nice and warm with cinnamon and barrel character. Diluted: Stronger nose of vanilla blooms along with fragrant wood shavings. Palate gets a little sweeter but maintains a leafy, spicy core. Finish is actually a little nicer with water - stretches it out a little more.

Color: Butterscotch. Nose: Caramel corn, orange peel, and vanilla cookies. Rich baking smells with toches of the dessert wine sweetness. Palate: Powerful orchard fruit cuts through some rich cinnamon spice. A little pleasant acidity from the wine casks. Finish: Pears and marmalade with brown sugar. Sweet, is what I'm saying. Diluted: Nose features milk chocolate and fresh berries, like raspberries. Palate is all honey and graham crackers with a floral, fruity finish.

Color: Dandelion wine. Nose: Cereal malt and a juicy lemon zest. Citrus notes give way to grass and a little light buttered toast. Palate: Mild nuttiness, like lightly roasted cashews, with a continuation of the citrus notes. Faint powdered cocoa and marzipan. Finish: Short and shallow - would like to try this at full strength. Nonetheless, pleasant floral tang and bready sweetness. Diluted: Nose is sweeter and fruitier, with banana and honeycomb. Palate holds the honey with a light dusting of mandarin shavings, though the finish remains a little disappointing.