Bristol Cream is a blend of Fino, Amontillado, and Oloroso, with some Pedro Ximénez to give it its characteristic smooth and mellow sweetness. Since 1994, it is packaged in the iconic Bristol blue bottle.
Tasting Notes Nose: Sweet and reasonably nutty. Caramelized apples, raisins, with hints of toffee. There’s a hint of spicy oak underneath. You can sense some of the Oloroso in the background, but most of its fragrance is flattened out.
Taste: Actually less cloying (less creamy, if you like) than I expected. Flavor-wise, this is basically what you expect from a sweetened Oloroso. Plenty of sweet raisins and prunes. Plain caramel. Hints of hazelnuts. Again fairly flat when compared to an authentic (sweetened) Oloroso, which would be spicier and more intense. Except for the lighter body, it’s hard to notice any Fino or Amontillado.
