Laird's 7 1/2 Year Old Apple Brandy

A beautifully mature and distinctly American apple brandy with aromas of baked Golden Delicious apples, poached pear and apple strudel, followed by cedar, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted oak. More subtle notes of caramel, vanilla bean, dried apricot and apple skin emerge with air. Medium-bodied and polished, with a lovely interplay between orchard fruit and seasoned wood. The fruit isn't candied or overtly sweet; instead, there are flavors of baked apple, pear and dried fruit wrapped in mulling spices, toasted vanilla and cedar. A touch of pepper and allspice brings welcome tension through the middle. The oak becomes increasingly apparent toward the finish, but enough tart apple character remains to keep everything fresh. Long, warming and gently drying, with baked apple, cinnamon, cedar and lingering allspice. Traditional, elegant and wonderfully evocative. A fascinating American counterpart to aged European apple brandy.