The Toshan Man

Asta Morris, the company run by Bert Bruyneel - or Crazy Bert as I affectionately call him - has finally seen the light and bottled a cask of Auchentoshan. The bulk of the 210 bottles that the single sherry hogshead yielded were destined for Japan's Gaia flow, but luckily a few bottles stayed 'home'.

Tip: pour it and then leave it ten minutes to breath before you get to work. Trust me.

Dark and succulent nose rich in prunes and figs, but also with a herbal side as if from ferns and camphor. Arabica coffee with a hint of chocoalte. Maraschino cherries. Rose water. Not a typical Auchentoshan, mind you, but what a beautifully layered nose this is. Give it some hand warmth and it becomes wonderfully sweet. Reminds me of Mokatine in a sense (Google is your friend).

It is wonderfully creamy, almost syrupy, piquant and sweet. The fruit returns and leaves no doubt about the fact that this was quite an active sherry cask. Dark and sweet. It does not need water, but can easily cope with it.

Long and soft finish that caresses the senses.

This one gets stamped 'Toshan Man Approved', for it is simply delicious. 155 EUR is quite fair for this jewel (compare it to the price of the Solera for example). I need to get some more bottles of this. Respect for Asta Morris. From now on, I will call him Sir Crazy Bert.