BLANTON'S Gold Edition Golden Promise

Nose : rich, concentrated. The absolutely magnificent initial nose wavers between liquorice, dark chocolate, dried apricot, quince jelly, salted butter caramel, grilled sweetcorn and pipe tobacco. Allowed to breathe, it becomes more floral (vetiver, geranium, hyacinth). Its medicinal character (ointment, camphor) gradually takes hold. The very warm aromatic palette shows lots of depth and power.

Palate : invigorating, dense. The very delicately woody (beeswax) attack is like an apricot sorbet. Sprinkled with a handful of violet petals, it is also profoundly mineral (slate, schist). The elegant mid-palate is powdery and spicy (cocoa, grated ginger). Its fruity sweetness (peach, chestnut) is pepped up with chilli (paprika, Espelette). A sensation of fullness emanates from the flavour palette.

Overall : long, enveloping. At the start of the finish, the taste buds are treated to a taffeta-like mouthfeel. Constantly climbing higher, it reveals in turns notes of tobacco, rhubarb, strawberry, walnut, quince and saffron. The retronasal olfaction is delicately woody (oak stave, beeswax) and powdery (cocoa, coffee). Creating a neat finish, the empty glass pays tribute to maize.