Distilled and filled into a re- charred oak hogshead at Glenlossie distillery in Speyside in 2009 and bottled at 53.4% after spending a extended maturation in a barrel which previously held Italian PICOLIT wine. This dessert wine is produced in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in the North East of Italy, from a low yielding but richly aromatic sweet white grape crop.
Appearance: Olive oil yellow. A thin to medium in thickness tide mark quickly forms, quite chaotic in appearance and which beads up and starts to morph into many teardrops and a few medium trails. A semi-viscous film clings to the glass.
Nose: Quite light in terms of alcohol. A lovely sweet aroma rises from the glass, pleasing and friendly. Honey drenched bananas, sugar-dusted red apple slices and fruit chew sweets. Sweet pipe tobacco, damp leaf litter and fermenting orchard fruits also join the mix after a few ‘noses’. It’s a very confectionary-sweet nose indeed.
Palate: A slightly oily mouthfeel. Citrus and black pepper hit first in the palate, a little astringent but also sweet. The second sip reveals tropical fruits, limonchello and some oak dryness. The honey from the nose is present as a background later too. Some smoked chocolate appears just before the flavours fade into the finish.
Finish: Medium in length. Smoke chocolate, black pepper, lemon zest and cinnamon.
Overall: The nose is very sweet and inviting, but I’m not sure about the palate. It’s ‘nice’ but the more astringent elements put me off a bit. Maybe a bottle would allow the liquid to ‘settle’ and mellow a little.
