CHICHIBU 2011 Madeira Hogshead Tay Bak Chiang #2

Nose : fine, distinguished. Dried fruit (date, fig) perfumes red fruit (raspberry, strawberry) and raisin cake. This is the influence of the madeira, which adds character without completely drowning the initial nose. Next, florals (peony, peppered rose) fill the air with their heady perfumes, while oceanic spray brings refreshment. Absolutely magnificent. This is followed by an abundance of bitter orange zest.

Palate : full-bodied and concentrated. Full-bodied because every inch of the palate is filled, delicately releasing notes of liquorice, pencil lead, oranges, heather honey and geranium. Its core is concentrated and focused on malted barley, noble wood, beeswax and violets, before becoming more exotic (mango, persimmon, guava).

Overall : long, smooth. The finish moves into voluptuous chocolatey flavours. Spices of a rare finesse (cardamom, saffron) gradually envelope fresh figs and white peaches. Very rooty, it gradually reveals notes of gentian and ginger. The retro-nasal olfaction is like breathing in the smoke of an elegant, characterful Havana cigar. The empty glass oscillates between madeira and malted barley.