Nose: very strong black pepper and malt with a hint of the sherry cask. Honey, vanilla cream, and light caramel as well. Taste: christmas fruit cake with very lightest hint of some peat at the back. Very intensely sherried almonds and grapes. The peat represents itself as cheese and bacon grease after you get past the sherry notes. Very dry oak on the finish Water makes the nose very honeyed and crisp with pear notes. Taste is much of the same sherry notes with a long after taste of rubber