Nose - apple, lemon zest, caramel, strawberry, vanilla, fig, floral notes, raisin, cinnamon, allspice, cereal grain, black pepper, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - caramel, strawberry, green apple, vanilla, chili pepper, fig, plum, lemon zest, cereal grain, cinnamon, clove, moderate alcohol bite, finishing fast with caramel, strawberry, and chili pepper flavors. I bought a 50ml miniature of this, and am glad I didn’t buy the bottle instead. It’s not bad, but the quality isn’t at the level of Virginia Distillery Co’s Courage & Conviction release. The nose is hot for the proof and reads as very young. It takes some work to get past the ethanol, but once you do you’ll find sour apple and caramel, along with strawberry and dark fruits that hint at the port finish. Similarly, there’s nothing particularly special with the palate. More of the fruit notes are present with some baking spices, but it’s just too young and hot to be compelling. Overall, it’s forgettable. Certainly a step up from a cheap blended malt, but not by much.