Tastes

Nose: Malty, loads of creamy chocolate liqueur, some woody notes. Palate: Slightly oily mouthfeel, overripe red apple, floral, blossom, vanilla shortbread. Finish: Black pepper spice, dark chocolate, dry. Notes: As an avid stout drinker the influence here isn't so much on the palate. The nose and finish carries the chocolate qualities often associated with stouts but on the palate I would've expected coffee or roasted malts. What it does offer is texture and weight. It ends up being a nice marriage of the two.

Nose: Sweet caramel, spices, most notably cinnamon, vanilla pod. Very aromatic. Palate: Thickish, not oily though. Loads of cinnamon, some spicy heat to it with dark dried fruit and candied orange. Oak is an accent. Finish: The orange lingers with the warmth of the spices playing out.

Nose: Freshly cut green apple, coconut, vanilla buttercream, unripened banana. Palate: Light, green apple, fruity, subtle coconut. Finish: Sherry notes with a trailing gentle oak. Notes: Incredibly drinkable. There's loads more happening on the nose than the palate but it's lovely and what I'd expected / hoped for.

Nose: Red wine grapes, dark fruits, oak. Palate: Burnt caramel, vanilla, oak, gentle heat. Finish: Rye, spicy, loads of black pepper, some vanilla, cherry appears way after the swallow.

Nose: Light brown sugar, malt, caramelised banana, rum spice, some buttery notes coming through on the retro nasal. Palate: Beautifully soft, caramelised pineapple, Demerara sugar, sultanas. Finish: Fresh oak spice, caramel, some gentle vanilla.

Nose: Cherry, cinnamon, red apple, maple. Palate: Soft mouthfeel, fleshy dark fruit, vanilla, caramelised banana, spice blend. Finish: Papery, dry, gently charred oak.

Nose: Salty, buttered bread, almost croissant like. Some spicy wood notes. Palate: Slightly oily, salty, intensely hot and spicy burn that's akin to a chilli heat. Finish: Lovely finish of charcoal smoke that cuts through some of the heat but both linger for some time. Notes: It's like someone put a smouldering coal from a BBQ into your mouth. Water does nothing to temper it.

Nose: Leapt up at me from the glass, cinnamon, sugared doughnuts, stewed apples, some light wood. Palate: Thin, starts off with a punch of alcohol heat but peters out to tobacco, cacao and earthy raw chocolate. Finish: Woody but not oak, some malt, black pepper, rye bread. Notes: My first rye and it's a 100% rye. It's lovely, I've always been a fan of rye when used in beer and so this is a step up from that.

Nose: Iodine, earth, briny sea air, faint ashey smoke, salted ham. Palate: Delicate mouthfeel, salt water, a developing smoke, hints of woody vanilla pods. Finish: A long satisfying finish of campfire smoke. Notes: I was prepared to hate this believing it to be over-hyped. I was so wrong. It's delicate, yet carries a ton of well balanced flavour.

Nose: Loads of chocolate. Sweet toffee, cherries and oak. Palate: Thicker mouthfeel, oak at the front leading to chocolate covered raisins. Finish: Good length of muscovado sugar and oak.