Nose: Orange liqueur and Brazil nuts. Wicker baskets, lychees, passionfruit, light baking spices, rotting tropical fruit and slightly moldy hay. The dry glass aroma is all orange blossom. Palate: Sweet and honeyed initially but quickly gaining the bitter and oily grape-seed notes typical of grappa. Mineral, earthy and floral on the mid-palate with a host of citrus flavours, light cinnamon, pears, and a bittersweet feijoa edge. There is alcohol heat that nearly disrupts the palate, but it dissipates quickly. Finish: Medium/long. Mineral, flinty with an unusual cloying oily taste, but sweet traces are apparent as well. This is a fairly typical example of grappa. It has a predominantly grapey-orange profile, as would be expected from its origin in orange blossom muscat and white muscat grape marc, but there are notes of tropical fruit and rancid nuts. The length is good. Grappa is a divisive spirit and I've come to the conclusion that it is not an acquired taste. It's one of those spirits with strong regional and historic connections and it only really appeals to those who grew up with it. If you've never tried grappa and are curious this is a good one to try, and if you don't like it after the first couple of tastes than then give up on this sort of spirit altogether because it doesn't get a great deal better than this. If you find it too intense try it ice-cold from the freezer. "Adequate" : 74/100 (2.25 stars)