Peat and Meat

SPIRIT NOTES

The neat nose veritably bristled with sweet, natural tar extracts, then pure creosote, salted Dutch liquorice and the sweetest, richest of peat smokes. We also noted meaty impressions of smoked duck breast and barbecued glazed pork. Reduction brought many aromas of umami and anchovy pastes, game meats, anthracite embers, camphor, pickled ginger and charred seaweed on a beach bonfire. The palate conjured ideas of fishermen's wellies, wet bonfire smoke and pickled walnuts. It was also hugely tarry and peppery, with iodine, cigar smoke and squid ink. Water brought notes of soy-glazed gammon, smoked almonds, clove oil, pure tar extracts and some extremely salty, very old oloroso sherry. In the finish we got pork scratchings and smoked dark ales. This was matured in a bourbon hogshead for seven years before being transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.