Yamazaki Sherry Cask bottled 2013

Nose: Now this is a sherry bomb that really lets itself go. Lots of bitter coffee overlaying prunes, drizzled with little nibs of fig. More espresso. Chocolate liqueur with a maraschino cherry. Decadent and heavily sherried, showing a surprising amount of the heavy and dark elements at what I think is fairly young.

Palate: Initially sweet sherry, almost on a dark and lightly bitter Spanish brandy. Juicy. The darker elements provide excellent balance. Strawberries and thick, drying (still plump) cherries. Then it's all to the browns. More chocolate liqueur laced with ground espresso bitters. A kiss of oak and very dark (99%) cocoa.

Finish: A really fine mix of the fruit, sweet, bitter, and dark flavors. Truly a classic and unabashed sherry profile, more on the lines of an old glory than a young babe, but it's got youthful spirit. Extremely graceful, yet bitter and less sweet than a number of its coevals. Excellent.

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