Aquavit tasting, 17 December 2022, aquavit #2 Nose: Vanilla and oak layered beneath a complex blend of baking spices, particularly caraway and anise. As it rests and opens you notice floral and honeyed notes appearing. Palate: Buttery with complex and well balanced spices. Citrus zest and black pepper in the late palate. The texture is creamy. Finish: Medium. The spices that emerge in the late palate carry on into the aftertaste. This gave me a good initial impression but over time I began to rethink that opinion. To start with I preferred it to the Linie Madeira Casks aquavit (which was the first tasting of the day) but as I came back to it throughout the session it gradually slipped down in ranking. At first the palate seemed rounded and full with a particularly buttery quality (which was sustained). However with time, and in comparison, it seemed to lose presence and feel weaker on the palate than most of the other spirits. I also was not that partial to the aftertaste which veered towards sour and bitter notes. It gave me the impression that the cask aging was not particularly long. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)