Tastes

Color: Rich gold sunset. Nose: Bold, ripe pears and spring flowers burst forward. Dewy and fresh petrichor as well. Palate: Prickly, floral, and honeyed. Unexpectedly savory, like warm oatmeal or muesli with a big pat of butter. Finish: Hot and sweet, more dessert than breakfast. Diluted: Delicate sweet fruits on the nose -- apricots and golden delicious apples. Palate more delicate as well, with crumbly honeycomb and graham crackers. Finish is more herbal, with some piney spice.

Color: Shiny bay horse. Nose: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves meet a heavy dose of vanilla extract. Palate: A little wet tobacco leaf wrapped in smooth, creamy toffee and maple syrup. Heavy sprinkling of brown sugar. Finish: Barrel oak but not too dry or hot. Some more light vanilla mixed with a dash of cardamom. Diluted: Orchard blossoms and warm applesauce on the nose, with candy sweetness and honey on the palate. Soggy waffles on the finish and the barest hint of menthol.

Color: Orange mango Nose: Fresh honey sweetness with split firewood and vanilla blooms. Hints of citrus--maybe orange rinds?--drifts through on the back end. Palate: Rich caramel, toffee, and maple. Mellow bourbon barrel staves. More waxy honeycomb and smooth vanilla. Finish: Short and sweet, with more of the citrus notes. Candy orange slices with big sugar crystals. Diluted: Fruits shift to the softer, redder, and sweeter variety on the nose, and really dominate. More complex malty richness on the palate, and a short but fruity finish.

Color: Crisp pilsner. Nose: Vanilla ice cream with rich fruit preserves on top. Blossoming blackberry bushes promising cobbler in the fall. Palate: Tobacco leaves and a little prickly anise. Stewed pears in cinnamon give way to a slightly sweeter marmalade glaze. Finish: Menthol and pine needles meet with brown sugar sweetness. Diluted: Lilacs and orchids on the nose with marshmallows, graham crackers, and jam on the palate. Finish is also sweeter, with floral mint lingering.

Color: Brass buttons. Nose: Soft spring blooms with ripe fresh berries and something sugary sweet, like cotton candy or a bag of marshmallows. Palate: Yellow pears and sweet peaches. Soft white chocolate and a cracked pepper kick. Finish: A little spicier than expected, with increased dryness from the palate. Bourbon barrel notes as well -- light honey and rich oak. Diluted: Much richer, more sugar sweetness than fruit on the nose. Subtler bourbon barrel notes move forward on the palate, particularly vanilla. Finish is much softer, very pleasant warmth.

Color: Christmas sherry. Nose: Nuts galore -- honey-glazed peanuts and toasted black walnuts. Raisins stewed in cloves and cinnamon, garnishing baked plums and figs. Palate: Definitely an Oloroso hogshead. Savory game meats with lingering hints of rich red burgundy. Potent mushrooms sauteed with rich butter. Finish: Hotter than you're expecting! Lingering traces of a little smokey firewood. Bitter wet coffee grounds. Diluted: Richer and sweeter nose, with big-time honey notes and more of that coffee, like a fresh-ground light roast. Fruits really play up on the palate, but so do the confections -- red berries with dark chocolate. Finish is notably mellower, with a red wine stickiness and delicious caramel apple.

Color: Hazy lemonade. Nose: Bourbon barrel sweetness with vanilla extract and raw honey. Fragrant lilacs throughout. Palate: Light berry fruits merge into soft spicy oak. Cinnamon sticks swirled with a drizzle of simple syrup. Finish: Cloves and dry barrel wood cut with plum jam. Diluted: Honey spread over sweet toast on the nose. Sweet jam mixed with baking spices, finishing with rich fruit preserves.

Color: Glazed ham Nose: Brown sugar and fruity pastries. Strawberry sauce comes to mind. Palate: More sweet berries. Just a whiff of toasty smoke, like a charred log in a kitchen wood stove. Creamy dreamsicle notes as well. Decadent. Finish: Light and warm. Gentle wooksmoke and chestnuts accented by sugary frosting. Diluted: The nose brings to mind orchard fruits, like ripe apples. Palate is more savory -- I taste honey-marinated salmon. Even more savory on the finish, with bacon or pork in an orange demi-glace.

Color: Soft light dandelion. Nose: Jalapeño seeds and salty seaweed. Runoff from a doused campfire meets herring with mustard. Palate: Fresh and grassy at first, punctuated by wet black charcoal smoke. Spicy and sooty. Finish: Vegetative and active. Heavy on brine and light on sweetness. Diluted: Black cracked pepper rises on the nose. Palate becomes more honeyed and mellow, while the finish sprinkles in vanilla and cardamom.

Color: Fresh cinnamon sticks. Nose: Cooling pumpkin bread on the windowsill. Soft and spicy, favoring bakery notes. Palate: Ground nutmeg and chewy caramels. Less spice, more softness, with a touch of vanilla and toffee. Finish: There's the spice. Dry rye all the way. Diluted: Cane sugar, sweet and warm on the nose. Vanilla leaps out on the palate, with something slightly floral -- maybe a little tobacco leaf. Finish doesn't add much, just a tad lighter and sweeter.