An advertising campaign of the early 20th century in Britain depicted Pope Leo XIII seated on his throne, bearing a mug of Bovril. TCP, frying pancetta, strong black coffee, bovril, smoked paprika, soy sauce, the saltiest Dutch liquorice, fermenting bean curds. Also embrocations, bandages, chalks, oranges, kumquats… Well, in truth, it really improves a lot once reduced, becoming almost civilised. This is a shorter finish (a few months) and nobody will tell you which ‘red wine’ it was, except that, apparently, it was French.

Been back on the shelves since the end of the BSE crisis when the beef was replaced with yeast extract. Millimetric vanilla, dough, shortbread, barley, oranges, and a wee touch of lovage for good measure.

We’ve already tried a short few 1969s, especially a wonderful 1969/2004 (WF 91) and an even greater 1969/2011 (WF 92), so big hopes here… Colour: amber. Nose: a bit of sweet mustard and leather blended with some dry white wine, with a few metallic touches, that’s very Jura in my book. On the right, there’s a clearly visible seam that runs along the neck down to the bulbous body of the bottle and, on the left, the thick, irregular shape of the lip. For me, a piece of toast thickly spread with butter, a generous smear of Marmite and a topping with cheese is the best start to any day — except of late, as you can't easily find that stubby black jar with its distinctive yellow label on the supermarket shelves. The design was a huge favourite with Victorian children who would smash the bottle to get at the marble.

Shackleton's men kept hope of rescue high; Marooned Scientists, Living on Penguin and Seaweed, Watched Daily for Relief" (PDF). Kerosene, diesel oil, brake fluid, tar, new tyres, hand cream, then broom and gorse, then fresh pineapples. Bovril can be made into a drink (referred to in the UK as a " beef tea") by diluting with hot water or, less commonly, with milk. It's brilliant, much better when you just need to add a dash or odd amount rather than wasting a whole cube/pot thing.And do not expect any long notes, as we’ve really got many such white rums that we’ve accumulated over the last two years. Just a perfect example of a whisky that’s ‘sulphury’ while that would be some clear and absolute asset. Lovely gentle sooty smokiness in the background, which builds over time to become a tad more dominant.

I remember we’d tried their ‘Very Strong Rum’ a few months ago – mind you, we had managed to survive its 84.For cocktails only, I suppose, while you could sip all the others like that, or with some ice (or with three olives, as rumtinis). Mouth (neat): indeed, it’s fruitier, with coastal notes as well as touches of artichokes and concrete. I think they did something very well here… Mouth (neat): I’d rather say young Ardbeg, with a tablespoon of banana liqueur. Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake. Mouth: a nice balance of sootiness, beefy notes, game meats, red chilli jam, hints of banana liqueur, mincemeat and wild strawberry.

Drink 10 things you (probably) didn't know about Bovril Other than the little known fact that it was invented by a Scot, here are ten things you might not know about everybody's favourite beef extract, Bovril.Mouth (neat): exceptional, rich and yet refreshing, with touches of Turkish delights and litchis at first, then olives and tar, then engine oil and liquorice.