Sherried Aultmore is often a lovely thing indeed. This month’s example has spent 15 years in ex-bourbon before a decent finish in 1st fill oloroso. View on SMWS
Nose: Fresh from the oven apple crumble sits with a scattering of berries (raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants). A jug of toffee sauce sits nearby ready for pouring. There’s a ton of patisserie here – Danish pastries, pain au chocolat and hot cross buns – all the raisins and sultanas you could possibly want. In the background some greenhouse chilli and bell peppers, whilst rolled pastry and brown sugars provide yet more sweet treats. Water brings out orange peels, brandy butter, marzipan and biscotti.
Taste: The arrival has real weight with mouth coating richness. Toffee sauce and chocolate liqueur are soaked into airy sponge cake whilst burnt honeycomb is joined by prunes and dates. The mid-palate reveals spice – again, as with the nose, its rather piquant – chilli pepper and garam masala. Dilution takes some solid foundations and gives them a big kiss. Gooey toffee, unctuous chocolate and plenty of chopped hazelnuts. All totally lovely.
Finish: Quite long with baked tart cases, brown sugars and fading nutty oloroso.
There’s several sherry influenced bottlings this month – this Aultmore is my pick of bunch. Rich, deep and opulent out of the bottle, bear-huggingly sociable once reduced. Recommended.