Appearance: Very light/diluted white wine. A thin swirl mark quickly morphs into a chain of beads. Many thin to medium legs form within the viscous film clinging to the inside of the glass.
Nose: A warming ABV wave that’s not overwhelming at all. Quite coastal: distant ashy smoke, salinity and seaspray. There’s a subtle sweetness too, like sugared cereal. Some spongecakes, overripe red apples and a slight fermenting fruit funk emerge as the glass matures slightly. After a few inhales the sweetness intensifies somewhat. Grilled red apple and possibly more tropical fruit too, mango maybe. The ashy smoke also becomes more meaty and a little sweeter too.
Palate: A lovely buttery mouthfeel followed by a big ethanol hit, this one doesn’t hide its higher ABV! White pepper and mild chilli tingle on the tongue, even a slight numbing in the throat (almost a mild popping candy effect!). Buttered toast, tropical fruits: pineapple and watermelon and faint mineral.
Finish: Medium to long. That buttered toast, tropical note and white pepper linger for a while. The ABV effect stays with me too!
Overall: An ABV monster. The nose is very interesting and the star of the dram. The palate is decent enough but slightly one-dimensional for me.
