Tastes

Color: Not-quite-rose gold. Nose: Vegetative peat with floral sweetness, like ripe banana, and tannic red wine notes front to back. Palate: Savory (pork fat and charcoal) and sweet (custard, honey, and maraschino cherries). Smokier on the palate than the nose, but far from overpowering. Finish: Delightful. Velvet campfire. Perfect barrel balance. Diluted: Earthy loam radiating misty sweetness. Salty and ripe without dialing back the smoke at all. Almost no way to improve the finish -- can't go wrong. A little lighter and more delicate with water.

Color: Burnt copper. Nose: Raisin bread and toffee right out of the oven. Candied nuts with mulled wine in a warm farmhouse kitchen. Palate: Cocoa powder, almonds and dried apple slices. Dates dipped in brown sugar come to mind. Finish: Viscous and chocolatey with a strong burn. Dark coffee sensation, like espresso. Diluted: Lightens and lengthens into cinnamon babka and baked caramels. Finish is considerably mellower and creamier, almost reminiscent of Baileys or coffee liqueur.

Color: Golden straw. Nose: Meadow wildflowers in bloom. Pears, apples, and grapes on the vine. Fruit-forward and floral. Palate: Add ripe cherries and blackberries to grapes and apples for tartness. Full, syrupy body and dark, bruused berry skins. Finish: Sweeter on the finish, with slightly mellower honey and oak notes. Diluted: Brings forward richer, sweeter fruit notes, like plums and pomegranates. Finish almost picks up some mild spice, like cinnamon or allspice, but nonetheless soft.

Color: A light tangerine. Nose: Vanilla and honeycomb and lush beds of flowers. Fruit scents are soggy and sweet, like Golden Delicious apples. Palate: Wonderfully waxy and creamy, with just the lightest hint of red wine or sherry influence. And rainy, like petrichor. Finish: Sweet notes solidify to butter, while the fruit notes sharpen to citrus. Tough to unwind the casks here (at least for me), or the age. Young, but maybe not so young. Diluted: Nose is hot buttered bread with a spicy fruit profile, like apple cider. Explosion of brown sugar on the palate, with a richer, caramelly finish.

Color: Blood orange. Nose: Raisins, fruitcake, and fresh-ground coffee beans. Dark explosion of fruits top to bottom. Palate: Sticky sweet strawberry and rich candied dates with a (seasonal) dose of sugar plums. Notes also of milk chocolate and chestnuts. Finish: Deep textured woodiness, with thick clover honey and a little red wine acidity.

Color: Tawny brass. Nose: Chocolate, espresso, and heavy soot. Algae and smoked trout with rye toast. Palate: Roasted honeyed almonds and candied dates. Caramel drizzle over mocha but a strong, pungent blast from a charcoal grill. Finish: Saltwater downstream of a smokey factory. Coffee cake and vanilla fudge richness. Diluted: Fruits, like raspberries and raisins, rise on the nose. Palate gains similar sherry notes along with applewood-smoked sausages and rich molasses. Finish is sweet dark chocolate with maple syrup next to a wood fire.

Color: Dusky gold. Nose: Smokestacks and mussels. Machine oil in a beachside boathouse. Meaty, like pork fat. Palate: Bananas and vanilla and a little light lemon zest. Ashy smoke marries well with bourbon barrel sweetness. Finish: More meat, like bacon grease or even ramen broth. Good texture. Diluted: Apple blossoms and roasty coffee grounds on the nose. Notes of marzipan and toffee with milder tobacco smoke on the palate. Still some great oils and savory notes on the finish. Fennel as well.

Color: Sunny goldenrod Nose: Sweet, fresh-cut grass with lemon, spring blooms, and a salty clam bake on the beach. Palate: Custard, fresh vanilla, and smoked maple sausages. Honeyed graham crackers and crispy roasted marshmallows. Finish: Wonderful texture and sweetness, like a sauternes or white port. Diluted: Key lime pie and Granny Smith apples on the nose. Palate is a fresh sweet babka with a side of bananas foster. Finish is a mild, medicinal smoke.

Color: Polished copper Nose: Red wine under a salty sea spray. Floral (heather and lilacs) and fruity (apples and red berries) meets light, gentle peat smoke. Palate: Very rich, with cigar smoke atop confectionary notes of salted caramel and fresh roasted coffee. Finish: Short but clean and smooth. Subtle mintiness and menthol mixed with candied apples. Diluted: Maraschino cherries and fresh apple pie on the nose. Hints of charred pork fat on the palate with boiled dates and plums. Finish still carries a little bit of smoke and sweet cinnamon rolls.

Color: Christmas brandy Nose: Orange peel, rye spices, menthol, and gingerbread sprinkled with cinnamon. Palate: Cherries and tobacco leaf, with a little vanilla. Soft leather and oil make up for a slight lack of body. Finish: Light, spicy, and varnished with lemon zest. Diluted: Molasses and maple with a sweeter, more confectionary nose. Palate is a light floral citrus blossom, with reduced brown sugar and a little mint. Finish is sugar water.