Mossburn Vintage Casks Craigellachie 13 Year Cask Strength

The Party Source pick Sourced from Craigellachie Batch No. 23.0109.SC11.139 Distilled in 2009; Aged in ex-ruby port barrels Bottled on 01/25/2022 Age - 13 years Yield - 259 bottles 52.4% abv; 104.8 proof Open 3 months Nose - Red grapes, honeysuckle, strawberries, raspberries, milky cereal, baking spices, white chocolate, and medium ethanol. Palate - Berry infused honey, plums, cocoa, allspice, sweet malt, hay, light brine, and white pepper. Finish is medium-long with oily grain, bitter oak, black pepper, brine, dried dark fruits, and medium ethanol. This was my second purchase at The Party Source, a new release for them back in November 2022. Based on the specs alone I bought 2 bottles without tasting it. My first ever single barrel Scotch at cask strength with a 13-year age statement for only $80? Sign me up. It delivered and then some. I'm generally not a fan of port finishes, but that is mainly because it is used as a quick way to make bourbon sweeter and more expensive. Compared to a sherry-finished Speyside, this is sweeter. But it also retains a lot of Highland malt and brine character that shines through the port finish over time. The neck pour was port sweet, but it evolved over time and lost that dominant ruby port influence. Frankly for $80, it's a phenomenal buy. There are few cask strength Scotches outside of Glenlivet, Highland Park, Ardbeg, and Laphroaig that can be had for under $100 these days. The fact that there are still bottles available of this at the store is baffling. I'm impressed with my first Mossburn purchase. I hope to see more single barrels like this in the future.