Tastes

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.

Nose: Rich, toffeeish, butterscotch, floral, vanilla custard. Palate: Vanilla and caramel draped over oak like a misplaced scarf at a fancy ball. Finish: Spicy, gentle warmth, oak is more present. Notes: A couple drops of water really opens up the nose with the floral notes being more prominent and identifiable as jasmine. It does make the palate a bit harsher though.

Nose: Iodine, briny sea air, charcoal, some vegetal notes. A sweetness floats in and out like someone is eating a warm white chocolate and raspberry cookie nearby. Palate: Deliciously oily, a light ashy smoke, sweet grains. Finish: Salty, ashy smoke. Like a recently extinguished fire on the beach.

Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, a touch of cherry and some light oak. Palate: Nice mouthfeel, light honey, brown sugar, cinnamon spice. A developing, but gentle heat. Finish: Cinnamon comes through more on the finish together with vanilla icing. Notes: I let it breathe for about 30 minutes and it relaxed the nose, bringing out some additional sweetness.

Nose: Delicate honey notes, shortbread almost cookie dough. Faint traces of coconut. Palate: Light but creamy mouthfeel. Woody spice with hints of honey to balance. Finish: Slightly biscuity with oak flavours starting to introduce themselves and leading us away. Notes: A drop or two of water unlocks the honey sweetness on the palate further and does well to intensify the finish. I was enjoying this and ran out.

Nose: Rich molasses, dates, papery, powdery baking spice; like the aroma of a dusting rather than the spice itself. Palate: Wonderfully soft with dried dark fruits which give way to a sweet vanilla bean. A developing oak flavour. Finish: A rolling date and vanilla sweetness with oak arriving in waves as a compliment.

Nose: Stewed pink lady apple, a touch of cinnamon. Retro: A hint of vanilla lends a hand and also brings a toffeeish quality with it. Palate: Quite sweet, but not sugary more on the vanilla scale, apple and a developing spice. Finish: Dry, medium finish. Lingering squashed apple. Notes: I quite like this as a novice. It's inoffensive. It's a bit young and that definitely shows but I don't mind that if I were to look for something on the lighter end of the scale.