A few weeks ago my great-Aunt Rosemary passed away. At the family reunions she always had the best food. Christmas over her house was magical, almost too magical to have fully appreciated when I was younger. Wave after wave of finger foods until even the fattest among us could barely stand. There were alternating assaults of sweet and savory, breads and olives, meats and cakes. It was awesome.

Right away, smelling this whisky brings me back to the full Italian Christmas spread. It makes me miss Ro’… a lot. Life is short, people. Life is short.

Nose: Jordan almonds(!), walnuts and Italian cookie platters at Christmas – Roccoco, Canali, and Amaretti with the little cherries in the middle. They’re out of place on the platter but there are Fig Newtons, too… and some Red Bull. Next wave is the salumi platter, but I can’t stay long, I’m back for the marzipan and pie crust.

Palate: Almonds followed by a quickly fading peppery blast. Loads of the cookies from the nose, some dipped in chocolate. Hay extract with some grassy notes. I start to taste some mortadella and capicola and then the malt starts to contribute. The echo is all nuttiness, Fig Newtons and sugar cookies at first but after a few sips it transitions to peppery, cured meats.

This is like a warm hug from a family member you wished you spent more time with.

Thank you to Katia over at Impex Beverages for the sample!