Ian McLeod took the lead of the distillery in 2003 and it didn’t take long for us to see the appearance of this 21 yo on the cellarmen stalls. An example of well-reduced sherry ?
Nose : We smell caramelized hazelnut associated with hazelnut oil aromas. It becomes more fruity with creamy white peach giving a pastry result. It’s attractive enough and the precision is there. Then, it homogenizes with dried fruits, frozen candied chestnut-vanilla coming as backup. It’s up to orange liqueur to appear with a freshness coming from an orange tree leaf. Actually, we’ve got a bit of white chocolate. It’s enjoyable and fresh but it mainly remains pointed to a reduced part of the aromatic spectrum.
Mouth : it lacks a bit of texture and yet we feel an alcoholic pinch. We have a hard time finding it a lot of character. Dried fruits (vague) and orange (majority) are back in the second part of the mouth. They combine with an almost dusty feeling. The alcohol has the advantage to satisfactorily carry the flavors. It’s simple and efficient but it doesn’t stand out from the crowd. Citrus fruit, Dried fruits ? The mouth is a little unexciting but easy drinkable.
Finish : medium and more bitter. We find orange, malt and dried fruits back. The persistence is good on the orange and the dried fruits only (What a surprise !!).
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