Roots, gentian, tonic water, Suze… With water: gets sweeter, but it would never lose its gentian-ness.

SNP MP Mhairi Black said the strangest thing thrown at her during the independence referendum was a Bovril cube. Nose: yeah, there, this is older Jura, more metallic, almost feinty, with notes of yogurt, sourdough, ammonia, fern, branches, old walnuts, raw grassy brandy (not-destemmed marc de Bourgogne), old tools lying in an old garage (in that old manor, perhaps)… With water: something died in the barrel, perhaps. Examples of other beef extract brands are Armour’s Extract of Beef, and Cudahy’s “Rex” Brand Beef Extract.Yeah, I know I shouldn’t have put it into the rum shelves then… What’s interesting is that this was aged in garapeira, which is some tropical wood. Cod liver oil, engine oil, olive brine, fisherman’s rope, woodruff, wormwood, verbena, clams, crushed strawberries… With water: impeccable freshness. Comments: it is not sauced-up, it’s even pretty clean, it’s just that all this coconut just wrecks it all, although I wouldn’t say it’s flawed, its just characterless, beyond the coconuts. Bovril is, indeed, used as a spread, similar to Marmite and Vegemite, or mixed with hot water to make a drink. You are, in effect, making an extract, and you have extracted some of the soluble chemical components of the plants, including micro-nutrients like vitamins.

While we have taken care in preparing this summary and believe it to be accurate, it is not a substitute for reading the product packaging and label prior to use. This is a perfect example, it’s just terrific, on samphires, capers, rainwater, and green lemons (not lime). Artis, Capel and Company, the manufacturers of this bottle, were a Surrey Mineral Water Company based in Neate Street, Camberwell, SE London.Unilever, the company that now produces Bovril, sparked anger six years ago by changing its composition from beef to yeast. Extraordinary notes of ‘a walk in the woods’, mushrooms, chestnut honey and honeydew, camphor, newly sawn fir wood, embrocations, Vicks, beeswax, lemongrass, tiger balm, angelica, woodruff… Well, this kind of complexity only comes with age, that’s bleeding obvious, but naturally, you would not always need fifty years. Knowles Mill, Wyre Forest, Bewdley, Worcestershire - Historic Building Recording, Archaeological Evaluation. These early bottles are reassuringly chunky with a dent at the base indicating their pre-war age, a design factor that continued into the 1920s as there was a shortage of glass.

Well not quite before 1963, obviously, although an older distillery used to exist long before the current Jura was built.I don't just use for gravy but a lovely tasty cup of it before I go to bed a couple of nights a week. I've no idea if the club gets a percentage of sales or not but even if they don't they will still get an income from the refreshment stalls in the form of some kind of rent. The design was a huge favourite with Victorian children who would smash the bottle to get at the marble. There’s also more marzipan, coconut balls, then prickly pears, blood oranges, and just a nice box of Jaffa cakes. It’s probably a bit provocative to start this with a sherry monster, but this is the youngest Springer we have on the tasting table today… Colour: red mahogany.

Roses, for example, mullein, violets… Comments: I prefer whisky, but this smart blended spirit works well. Nose: much softer and gentler than the Guadeloupean, a tad earthier, but also rounder, with lower definition, I would say.It’s a tad cologne-y at first, but a sumptuous earthiness arises, together with notes of Jerusalem artichokes and fennel.