I love an enigmatic and complex whisky. It’s taken me sitting with half the bottle to feel as though I’m well enough acquainted with this whisky to appreciate it. The color is a nutty brown with a deep red hue. The aroma is a blossom of intense notes, as far apart as pineapple upside down cake and smoked trout, kombu and cashew. The palate, while underwritten by sweet flavors, boasts savory and tangy overtones: more of the above—smoked trout and spiced cashew butter—and notes of Valencia orange, cacao nibs, and grape must. The mouth explodes with these flavors, hints of notes so well combined and exhibited that it’s almost better just to enjoy the rush rather than think too much about it. It’s elixir-like, mouth coating, and medicinal, but deceptive and viscous. Left in my mouth, from the surface of the whisky lifts a floral note that tickles the palate (it’s hard to describe). The finish is heavy and energetic, wave after wave, intoxicating any air inhaled. This whisky is special. While it’s an expensive bottle for its age, even more than, say, Springbank 10, it’s a fair price to pay for what it contains.