Glenesk 1981 / 26 Year old / Sherry Cask

Nose: powerful and immensely chocolaty at first nosing, like when you open a box of Xmas chocolates for the first time (yes, getting into the season). Then it’s all of a sherried cavalry, with some cappuccino, raisins, rum, brandy and crystallised oranges. And maraschino and cherry liqueur. Maybe a bit sharp underneath, though... Let’s see what happens with water: oh, it’s much more sulphury and phosphory now (cooked eggs, matchsticks box), even if we also have some nice notes of gunflints. Better not add water to this one, I’d say... 

Mouth (neat): rich and hugely expressive, a tad chocolaty again at the very beginning but then it gets much, much meatier, beefier and more muhsroomy. Good balance between the sherry’s dryness and the notes of liqueur-filled chocolate. It does not really need water at this stage but let’s see... Right, again, it got sulphury and bizarrely bitter. Over-infused black tea and rubber bands.

Finish: long, ashy and dry. This heavily sherried Glenesk is very good actually, but no water please!  85 points.