Official tasting notes
Nose: A bold spirit-forward entry greets you with waves of warm tropical fruit juice, incense smoked pineapple chunks and Nocino – the Italian spicy, sweet and slightly bitter walnut liqueur. After the initial waft has blown away there are notes of imperial stout, hazelnut cream and fresh earth. The middle notes bring waves of powerfully decadent American oak; cacao nibs, brown sugar salted caramel, custard buns with coconut icing and 95% dark chocolate. The spirit remains viscous and vibrant with layered tropical fruit nuances, and the oak profile opens with time to take on more confectionary qualities (creaming soda and pink musk lollies).
Palate: Transitioning with oomph (note: technical term), the palate immediately strikes you with an incredibly thick, silky texture; balanced by a pucker of oak grip, and followed by lemon sherbet. The middle palate brings loads of silky tropical fruits, a pop of Parma Violets, warm ginger and generous baking spices provided by the American oak. Incredibly lush, the palate continues on to provide condensed milk and lots of sweet grass, as the oak grip loosens and becomes more perfumed with each moment in the glass (amber, sandalwood, cedar) and a green, peppery and grassy back palate sees you to the finish.
Finish: With the aromatic oak spices still lingering in the air, the finish brings grounding, round and full notes of fatty macadamia nut and cinnamon toast with salted butter. The grassy and herbal note from the palate sustains with an added waxy nuance, as lavender and sage see the finish out with generous length.
Sullivans Cove 9 Year Old American Oak Cask Strength TD0444 700ml 66.9%
