Cask No. 11.43

After three years in bourbon wood, this spent the rest of its maturation in a second fill sauternes hogshead. The nose was an exotic mélange of calvados and tawny port, amarena cherries, pomegranates and dried apricots, with a side order of marron glacé, orange blossom, leather and oak. The palate had thrilling intensity – wine-soaked wood, prunes, snapdragon raisins and dark chocolates filled with kirsch liqueur; then finishing flourishes of Sichuan pepper, sloes and a bitter red Italian apéritif. Adding water brought expensive new car, stewed plums, ripe fig and chocolate-dipped candied orange to the nose, while the palate found panettone, fruit cake and dates, with a finish of clove, leather and old roses.

USA allocation: 111 bottles