7.112 - "Gooseberry fool and biscuits"

11 years old, distilled 22nd September 2003, 60.3% abv, first-fill ex-bourbon barrel, 202 bottles

The nose has gooseberry, hard pears, fennel and thyme. The mouth-feel is sweet and a little sharp, with no coating. The body has soft vanilla notes, pears and a hint of citrus. There are also hints of digestive biscuits. The finish is vanilla and herb gardens.

Water brings rapidly expanding whorls that settle into a pleasing mottling at the bottom of the glass. The nose now has more of the citrus hint, and less herbs. The body has no digestive biscuits, but more citrus alongside the vanilla and pear. There's still a lot of gooseberry though! The finish also gains a little lemon.

A decent dram for after a rugby match - whether you played on watched!

3.5/5