Bocatheva Aged 10 Years

Bocatheva Aged 10 Years is a Venezuelan extra anejo bottled at forty five percent, taking the country's smooth, dessert-leaning reputation in a darker, more roasted direction. Venezuela is known for vanilla, honey and dried fruit, and while those sit underneath, this leans toward coffee, cocoa and a drier frame.

Molasses-based and matured in ex-bourbon wood, it shows a woody, nutty, chocolatey nose with a candied edge, then a dark palate of chocolate, caramel and licorice carried by a fine bitterness, finishing dry with barrel and a touch of sweetness. Spiced cinnamon and tea-leaf notes round it out. It is lightly sweet but well within bounds, the roasty depth and gentle bitterness giving it more savoury character than many Venezuelan peers. At its strength and price it makes a satisfying, dark-toned sipper for those who prefer coffee and cocoa to syrup.