The short analysis: too much liquor.
Here’s the play-by-play description of our New Year’s Day sampling of Aunt Chris’ 
Fruitcake. After 5 weeks, it was time to unveil the slumbering fruitcakes.
Carefully unwrapping layers of cheesecloth—utterly dripping with spice-scented Jim Beam (apologies to those who knew better)—and confronting the heavy brown loaves, I carefully made the first slice. The perfume of high-octane alcohol filled the kitchen.
Armed with cups of hot green tea, we took to the dining room table with a single slice of fruitcake, cut into two pieces. Dense with spices, figs, raisins, ginger, almonds, walnuts and many other items, each bite was overwhelming. Mainly it was difficult to detect individual flavors and textures, so riddled with weekly dousings of booze was each atom of this creation.
“I feel like an archaeologist,” my sweetie ventured, as he lifted a forkful of indeterminate brown substance to his mouth. 
Both of us had to admit it tasted as we thought it might, and as we thought it should. But it pretty much did us in. Just too acrid and alcoholic.
Perhaps with only a single dousing of better whisky, and maybe with something to sweeten the finished product, e.g. hard sauce, creme Anglaise, the experience would have been more enjoyable. We added a few scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream. It helped. But not enough.
All in all, I’m glad I embarked upon this culinary genuflection at the shrine of Christmas cooks throughout the centuries.
But I have a few new 
ideas for next year. And they do not involve Jim Beam.
Christina,
Perhaps if you allow the alcoholic fumes to dissipate you’ll have a better experience. I don’t know how much you were pouring on but I used to just sprinkle enough (not Jim Beam…yuck, as the chefs say, if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t put it in anything) to keep the cheesecloth damp.
Actually a good quality dry sherry or a nice port works well too depending on the constituency of the fruitcake. Better luck next time. This is what I’d call a “learning experience”!
dl
Dinnylou – I am going to wait and see whether these two 60 proof loaves mellow at all. But yes, you were right. Better booze IS required. And not so much of it.
Live and learn.
Best!
Christina
Don’t know what kind of cake you were aiming for as this looks like more like panforte. I suspect merely substituting better or less alcohol won’t improve the concept. May I re-refer you to this Guardian article which contains a useful comparison of various recipes?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/nov/17/how-cook-perfect-christmas-cake
The English do a few culinary things right and fruit cake has never gone out of style there nor acquired the hideous reputation it has in the US.
Golden memories aside, it’s never too late to have a better cooking family–although the recipe might have arrived with the Vikings so you could claim it as your heritage.
Christina,
Now that I see the cake cut it does appear to be rather “gooey” for lack of a better descriptive word. My cakes did not smear when they were cut. They sliced cleanly and it was apparent what had gone into them. They had less “cake” and lots of fruits and nuts. I used to make a white fruitcake (cheesecloth soaked in sherry) and a dark one with (cheesecloth soaked in either port or brandy) depending on what the budget allowed.
Better luck next year!
db
I think it looks delicious. Tiny slices with a dollop of cream and a glass of brandy … mmmm.