Disturbed from a long sleep in a dark and quiet warehouse, European oak piques the nose before reluctantly admitting rich, dried fruits and an edgy trickle of treacle. A hesitant sweetness enters, then oak reasserts itself, burnished and mature.
A rush of ginger, nutmeg and resin herald orange, sultana and raisin with their restrained but pervasive sweetness. Clove is here and gone, leaving oak the undisputed maestro.
The finish is long, lingering and reflective.