Longmorn 1996 23 Year Old Sherry Cask for TWE

Billy Abbott

• Nose

  To quote a certain anchorman: rich mahogany – both the colour and the first thing out of the glass. There are some leather-bound books as well, but beforehand this dives head-first into a bowl of dried fruit: dates, cherries, prunes and the expected raisins. There's a touch of barrel-char smokiness behind the fruit, with a spoonful of brown sugar making sure it doesn't get too much.

• Palate

  Softer than expected from the nose, but still thick and very rich. Malt loaf with cherry jam; liquorice sticks dipped in brown sugar; toasted schwarzbrot with honey. Clove-heavy speculaas biscuits sit at the back, with bitter liquorice pastels and a touch of charred oak.

• Finish

  Char and concentrated dried fruit hang around with an ever-changing cast of extras: cinnamon toast, blackcurrant jam, singed cloves and sweet liquorice.

• Comment

  A bit of a beast, but with more complexity than it has any right after 23 years in an active sherry cask. Endless layers of fruit spice.