Fully ‘American oak’, but since most sherry casks are made out of American oak as well, it’s hard to tell whether they actually mean ex-bourbon, or virgin. Not that that’s very important, mind you, let’s just remember than in the old days, American oak often meant bourbon, and European oak, sherry.… I agree, a tad misleading. Colour: gold. Nose: it is rather firm, starting with whiffs of warm leather and cigarette tobacco, as well as a thin slice of ginger cake, also cigar box, dried figs, dried pears... It’s after one minute that fresher fruit start to burst out, including the expected pears (even at 36), more figs (fresh and dried), melons, and a touch of chamomile tea, or even earl grey. It’s absolutely not an old thing for Wall Street veterans, quite the contrary. Mouth: indeed, no signs of overpowering oak despite the notes of pencils and balsa wood, rather big custard and fig cake. Or there, some fig-dominated Christmas cake, then all things made out of apples and pears, mainly cakes. But dried figs keep running the show, even when the expected cinnamon and nutmeg from the oak start to be willing to come to the front. Finish: medium, never oaky, and never fragile, just a tad more tea-ish, which is normal. Cinnamon cake and… no, we won’t mention Christmas again. Some marmalade too in the aftertaste, as (almost) usual. Comments: good work by some ‘fiddich luminaries who composed this vatting at that time, including our old friend ‘HHH’. Cheers HHH.

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