Tastes

Nose - (w/o water) Intensely sweet and fruity, dark sugary sweet, light mint, cherry Dr. Pepper, vanilla brown sugar, salted caramel milk chocolates (w/ water) Sweet toned down a bit, but more sweet mint, more intense vanilla, and more of a creamy chocolate. Taste - (w/o water) Sweet mint, lightly herbal, delicious warming sweet cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper/Coke, very light oak bitterness. (w/ water) Cinnamon makes an appearance, more caramel, and dark fruit sweetness. Finish - (w/o water) Light bitter sweet like that of walnut skins, very clean tasting, lingering warmth, subtle oaky vanilla sweetness, light bitterness like if you bit into an older mint stem that has started to grow a "bark" of sorts. (w/ water) You get more of a cinnamon heat, slightly less bitter that's replaced with a lingering, but muted cherry vanilla. 91/100

Nose - Light fruit, almost sherry-like, salty sweet brined smoked pork shoulder, salted pretels, dried goji berries. Taste - Light peat, salty sweet smoked meat, slightly medicinal, light iodine, goji berries. Like a glass of an oaked chardonnay that has been sitting next to a mild, light bodied cigar. Finish - Leaves a lightly sweet, salt-brine seaweed wrapped smoked pork shoulder, leaving your mouth lightly dry. 83/100

56.1% ABV Batch #0813Y | Bottled 08/2013 Nose - Initially very hot on the nose due to the proof, letting it air gets a floral honey, apple and white grape juice, sweet brioche, apricot jam. Taste - A tropical fruit sweetness, pineapple, fresh coconut flesh, white peach, pear, light vanilla and oak. It's like if you took a really boozy white sangria and served it out of an oak barrel. Finish - Light lingering white wine sour/sweetness. Lingering tingle due to the higher proof. Light bitterness like that of Asian pear skin. 91/100

Nose - Orange-ginger compote, hard apple cider mixed with an oaked chardonnay, light honey/cinnamon roasted almonds, faint wisp of sherry. Taste - Very very faint peat smoke, sherry, vanilla/honey/cinnamon roasted almonds, light dark chocolate creamy bitterness. Finish - Dry mouth coating dark chocolate bar with dried cherries and smoked almonds paired with a glass of sherry sweetness. 89/100

Batch #3047 Nose - Chocolate covered dark cherries, dark caramelized sugar, vanilla caramel, red wine stewed plums. You definitely get an oaked sherry nose. Taste - Dark chocolate, hint of coffee, dark cherries, lightly sour pomegranate juice, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, baked apple, lightly bitter like baked apple skins. Finish - Dark dark bitter chocolate covered dark sour cherries, light oaky sweet bitterness. 90/100

Nose - Faint Earl Grey tea, lychees, apples, honey, grilled pineapple, lightly smoked/grilled Asian pear. Taste - Honeyed blend of black and green teas, light tart/bitter apple seed, smooth caramel-like sweetness. Finish - Lingering light tart/dry tea bitterness, apple/grape juice blend, grape seed tartness/bitterness. 81/100

Nose - Creamy vanilla, watered down honey, hint of cherries and apples. Taste - Lightly bitter apple juice, thin, faint hints of vanilla, muted oaked chardonnay sweetness and lightly sour like a chardonnay can get. Finish - Fades pretty quickly, light apple cider blended with oversteeped tea, leaving a light fruity dry bitterness and ligh sourness. 78/100

Nose - Light honeyed apples and pears, lightly toasted bread, crisp orchard fruits. Taste - Thin, lightly bitter honey sweetness, apple seeds, creamy mouthfeel. Finish - Fades pretty quickly, leaving a slightly stale honeyed sour apple juice taste. 75/100

Batch #B1/14 | 58.2% Nose - Sweet honey, candied apples, vanilla, faint hint of fresh hay. Taste - Honey, vanilla, dried apricots, donut peaches, barrel aged spiced orange bitters, light apple peel bitterness, faint oak. Finish - Lingering honey and apricots, nice pleasant sweet warmth with a hint of sweet bitterness like that from hazelnut skins. 89/100

Nose - Very clean and crisp nose, like a high alcohol content apple-ginger-honey cider, an almost pure grain alcohol like scent, but without the harsh burn. Taste - Watered down honey, mellow ginger cider, light oak bitterness. If you somehow could taste a spring meadow after a rainstorm? Finish - Fairly quick finish of honey and green apples. Very clean and crisp though. 80/100