The taste is spicy with cinnamon red-hot candies, vanilla cream, and touches of dark fruits and cocoa that come out as the spiciness starts to fade away. Adding a few drops of water tames the spiciness just a bit. The finish is long with subtle spices and a hint of oak. Very nice.
Compelling, well-structured whiskey, with cinnamon, chocolate, dark toffee, pepper, and ginger. It’s never cloying, nor overly sweet, just a richly rewarding glass.
The bit of ginger and licorice in the original is complemented nicely by the darker, winey notes of the Cognac cask which, both a little sour and tannic, also helps to temper the sweetness. The finish is long with tobacco and honey-dipped orchard fruits. Just as dangerously drinkable as the original, if not more so.
