Nose: Cocoa, pipe tobacco and a bit of dried orange peel. A little more earthy and leathery as it sits; some pencil lead/graphite too now. The fruit gets richer with time: apricot and plum now. With a few drops of water the emphasis shifts to the fruit.

Palate: The sherry is to the fore on the palate, with dried fruit and nuts leading the way and the earthier notes behind. Wonderful balance and integration of flavours, and the mouthfeel is very nice too. With more time the oak gets more prominent and the cocoa moves towards milk chocolate; the citrus gets a little brighter too. Water knocks the oak back and pulls out some malty notes.

Finish: Medium-long. Nothing new here; the nutty notes get a little more bitter and the orange pops up again at the end. Longer with water and maltier and fruitier.