January 23, 2021 - Bottle bought in November 2017, double decanted for 9 hours.
Amber colour, smells of almonds, raisins and a little bit of marzipan, medium body, not hot/spirituous, not overly sweet, I remember it being sweeter, for a sweet Madeira it’s more half-dry, in the mouth marzipan, almonds and raisins, in the aftertaste acidity, almonds and raisins, good length (30 sec), really good Madeira in its category.
October 20, 2020 - Very dark brown. Noticeably sweet but well balanced acidity dominates the aftertaste. Brown sugar nose, smooth but a good zing to it. Delicious. Two weeks later, tasted alongside Taylors LBV 16 and Penfolds 10 Yr Old Tawny. Least obvious of the three, uniquely Madeira nose and great acid / sweetness balance. Brown sugars the defining characteristic again. Much higher acidity and less obvious sweetness. All significantly different. Glad I don’t have to choose or rank them - this is currently my favourite.
October 8, 2018 - Small tasting glass @ VINEUM during service, so a brief note. Always happy to taste (good!) Madeira. This 50/50 Bual and Malmsey blend is very straightforward. Offering sugary notes; nutty flavours; honey; caramel and candied oranges. Nice!
December 31, 2017 - Muscovado sugar, toffee, those quality fudgy dates, figs, roasted coffee beans & well done toast.
Simpler in the mouth, deep orangey flavours and soft caramel; viscous but fresh. Very good.
June 7, 2017 - A 50-50 blend of Bual and Malvasia grapes. Heady and seductive, the bouquet offers maple, mead, tangerines, caramel, walnuts, and a drop of honey. The full bodied palate is long and warm, with absolutely no trace of heat. Tamarind, tangerine, and orange rind flavors are bolstered by juicy acidity and crushed rocks in the background. Delicious.
December 11, 2016 - Haven't drunk this in nine years. Delish! Not a bad price for an aged Madeira.
June 12, 2016 - No formal notes.
February 2, 2016 - Madeira Pilgrimage; 2/1/2016-2/4/2016 (Madeira): Smells of brown sugar, figs, dates, caramel and milk chocolate. Sweet, plush, full of brown sugar, caramel, sweet tea and floral elements. Very sweet but stays relatively balanced. A blend of Bual and Malmsey wines.
December 4, 2015 - Pop and Pour: brown colour, smells of caramel and smoke, quite a full body, in the mouth caramel and acidity, sweet, but not too sweet, in the aftertaste caramel and acidity (and a slight touch of iodine), good length (30 secs.), a really good Madeira, the only Madeira I actually like!
July 13, 2015 - Nose: Quite fruity nose; figues, tobacco, raisins, molasses / dark honey and orange peel.
Taste & palate: Semi sweet with great acidity, well balanced sweet & sour style. Medium to long aftertaste.
Takes 3-4 days to fully open up, particularly in the mouth, and evolve its clearly defined features.
A very good 5 year old, very consistent with previous bottle 1,5 years ago. But while that 0.5 litre bottle at 8,90 EUR (in Madeira) was a bargain, at 15,90 EUR (in Estonia) this one was less so, but still worth the price.