Tasting notes Serge Valentin: 91 points (WhiskyFun.com)

At 40% vol., this baby should make for a nice aperitif.

Colour: deep amber.

Nose: it’s not quite one of the famous ‘beehivy’ 1972s, probably because of a rather big sherriness. Having said that, the fruitiness is as luscious as fruits can get, with plenty of dried figs, dates and quinces, then a little heather honey, some chocolate sauce, blood oranges, a touch of wood smoke and then plenty of prunes and raisins. Ultra-classic, high-quality sherry ala old Macallan. Frankly, had I nosed this blind, I’d have said ‘Macallan, late 1970s-early 1970s’. I know, easy to say…

Mouth: absolutely excellent, and the low strength isn’t a problem, such is this baby’s thickness. Loads and loads of liqueur-filled milk chocolate, café latte, hazelnut liqueur, high quality Bailey’s (an oxymoron?) and manuka honey. A spoonful of high-end strawberry jam. Perfect rounded and complex sweet sherry – although you may call this ‘paxaretty’.

Finish: quite long, with even more prunes and raisins. Honeyed aftertaste.

Comments: so much for an aperitif, this is a perfect digestif. Very high quality! Bwaaah… BTW, I just saw that I already tried this baby in 2004 and came up with a score of ‘only’ 88. That was clearly too low.