Baroque Power Ballad - Dark Fruit, Heat, and Velvet Thunder
This is not your dainty Sherry cask dram. It's PX at full throttle - thick, fiery, syrupy, and utterly show-stopping. 5Nines bottled this one at a face-melting 64%, and it brings thunder with every sip.
The nose is explosive: raisin, treacle tart, fig jam, chocolate ganache, clove oil, and molasses. There's fire behind the fruit - a peppery heat that hums through layers of sweet smoke and dark spice.
On the palate: huge impact. Christmas cake soaked in brandy, espresso crema, black cherry liqueur, and clove-studded orange. Mouthfeel is dense and oily - it coats like velvet, then crackles with spice.
Mid-palate: leather, balsamic, dried date, burnt sugar crust. There's weight and balance - no raw ethanol here, just full-bodied authority.
Finish: long, rich, and riotous. Dark fruit, oak char, cacao, and spice echo like a cathedral bell. Water opens it up beautifully, but the bold will want it raw. A cask strength beast with black-tie class.