The nose took a little while to open up, but five minutes after pouring, its full of sweet wine notes (reminiscent of the Jefferson Groth cask bourbon), toffee, candied orange peel, big fat, juicy, dark berries and I'm getting a touch of fresh mint – of all things – hovering around the top notes. It's just shy of 50% so it's lovely and warming on the palate, the second sip is laced with juicy currants and almost a touch of cherry brandy. There's something almost sweet vermouth like about it - almost like 'essence of a manhattan'. The finish is fairly snappy, but with feeling.