Nose: Brandy, orange preserve, violet and rose petals. A slight tobacco note after it has rested in the glass for a while. Palate: Sweet grape juice arrival that opens onto a raisin development with a little white pepper. The texture starts off full and rounded but seems to lose body as it develops and veers very slightly towards sourness. Finish: Medium. Spiced dried fruits with a mildly peppery, tannic aftertaste that finally turns sweet again at the very end. It’s been many years since I last tasted Metaxa. A few months back Mrs Cascode and I were exploring a Greek market in Sydney looking for masticha when I spied this on the shelf and decided it was high time I tried it again. Metaxa is actually very easy to find in Australia, almost every bottle shop will have it, but it’s something I always reach past. It’s not as interesting as I remembered, but neither is it unpleasant. It just seems a bit underwhelming nowadays and there are definitely two disparate things going on in it. There is an unmistakable brandy component but it’s not what I’d call a great example of the spirit. It reminds me of Hardy's Black Bottle, an Australian hospital-grade brandy that sells for about US$20. This is paired with a rosy-tinged, dusky fortified wine that lends sweetness but strangely not much body. It may be the low proof or perhaps I just prefer the heft of undiluted muscat, port or sherry nowadays. These two elements seem oddly not integrated, although balanced. It’s worth trying a glass, but I think we’ll use the rest for cooking and I seriously doubt I’d buy another bottle. It's just not that special. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)