Agave Spirits+ Journey

On the Nose (without water): Red fruits (both dried & similar to dark cordial cherries/cherries in liquor), like dark cherries & black currants, black raisins; baking spices (like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom); hint of vanilla; earthiness; hint of ginger spiciness

On the Nose (with 2 drops of water with a Glencairn pipette): Cordial red fruits (like cherries) & dark chocolate; hints of vanilla & maybe some caramel; cut down on the peppery/ginger spiciness-hotness

On the Palate (without water): Initial peppery/ginger hotness; some anise-like bitterness (not overwhelming); some red/dark fruitiness (like dark cherries) & initial sweetness that transitions quickly to dryness & a bit of anise bitterness; some earthiness & smokiness (malt)

On the Palate (with 2 drops of bottled water; Smartwater): The drop/s of water (from a Glencairn pipette) cut down a bit on the peppery hotness but the anise bitterness remained fairly prominent (but not unbalanced) at the end of the sip.  The drops of water brought the dark red fruit (cordial cherries) and sweetness to the forefront, though it transitioned to a bit of anise bitterness fairly quickly still on the end of the sip.  The earthiness & hint of smokiness from the malt remains (the water seems to make these flavors more discernible on the swallow).

*An enjoyable sipper that I prefer with a drop/s of water.

-Not as enjoyable as the Cider Cask Finish Whisky, but I think that I’ll get more from it as my tasting experiences with ports increase.

*Good viscosity in the glass & nice mouthfeel, though the finish is pretty short with the exception of some of the hotness & bitterness (vestiges of which remain for 15-20 seconds).

*It smells sweeter than it is on the palate.  On the palate, there is an initial fruity sweetness that comes back later, but it quickly transitions after the initial sweetness to being pretty dry and a bit peppery/hot (though not unpleasant).

-Dark reddish amber color

-Used a Stölzle Lausitz whisky nosing glass.

UPDATED TASTING NOTES ON SUBSEQUENT POURS (16 SEPTEMBER 2024): On the nose without drops of water the red fruits remained, reminiscent more of a viscous fruit syrup, jam, or nougat (like a fig newton) rather than a fruit juice. There were also more prominent aromas of black raisins and dried figs.

With a couple drops of water (Smartwater) from a Glencairn crystal pipette, the aroma profile remained much the same as before.  There was the same cordial/syrup red fruits aroma at the forefront with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, and caramel.  The pepperiness has been tamed down a bit on the nose.

On the palate without water, the flavor profile remained largely the same, too, with very brief hints of sweet red fruits that were quickly followed (and taken over) by a peppery/anise-like bitter heat. The flavor profile is dry, not sweet, unlike on the nose. There is still a malty smoke and earthiness prominent on the back palate with these flavors hanging out for a while after the sip is swallowed.

With a couple drops of water, the peppery heat is tamed down on the palate as well as on the nose. There is still a vegetal/herbal bitterness hanging out on the back of the tongue after the sip is swallowed. The red fruits sweetness is still brief, coming and going during the sip and after the swallow. The dominant flavor sensations after the swallow are a slight tannin bitterness, malty smoke, earthiness, and heat in the throat.

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