Afternoon Tea Party

SPIRIT NOTES

A scent of sweet, ripe orchard fruits filled the room with apples, pears, oranges, bananas and cherries. In the background, however, was a deeper note of caramelised plums in port wine with a cinnamon cream. This was served with a glass of hazelnut liqueur, typical of the northern Italian region Piedmont, blended with coffee, cocoa and vanilla. After reduction, we found candied almonds, chocolate croissants and chewy caramel bars. On the palate now was an array of afternoon tea goodies – malt loaf, hot cross buns, tea loaf, honey and butter on crumpets and, not to forget, Dundee and carrot cake. Following eight years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a first fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead.