Rating: 17/23 N: Sweet, fruity. It smells on the sherried side of the spectrum. Kind of lightly fruity with a sizable floral character and something that just makes me think of Aberlour 12. I get a faint hint of cocoa powder in here. Otherwise, I'm having trouble picking out the details. P: It's sweet and kind of rich, but smooth. I do taste some of the alcohol coming through, but it also gives this a hint of licorice. This has a fuller flavor than Yellow Spot. What it reminds me most of off the bat is Aberlour 12 with its super mellow sherried (well, madieraed) finish. There's plenty of that fruit and floral flavor. I get some of that malty richness, but it isn't super strong or full of unique personality. It's very nice and easy drinking, but it's not memorable. There's some of that Irish oiliness, but it's fine. Compared with Aberlour 12, this is fuller, in part because of the oiliness. Yellow Spot tastes a bit more immature, but also more complex perhaps. Still, this is oilier and fuller with more fruit, in a way that reminds me of Bushmill's 21 a bit (though it has less of that characteristic Irish oiliness that Yellow Spot has). The fruit here is less chalky than what's in Aberlour 12 and it's fuller. Where Aberlour 12 tastes a bit watery, the oil helps fill this out. Bushmill's 21 is richer, sweeter, smoother, and has more apricot. This tastes youthful and even a tad harsh in comparison. Overall, I think it's fair to say that this does not taste tremendously old, but it is smooth. The oil is challenging at times, but I'm not really a fan of that Irish oiliness, so someone who is would probably love that aspect. Contrasting with the Bushmills, I'm now getting a bit of white pepper that adds to the complexity here and partially explains the increased harshness. (side note: I now see that Bushmill's 21 is partially finished in Madeira too). The complexity here is starting to grow on me. I'm liking this. It isn't amazing me, but it's decent competition for Yellow Spot. In terms of sheer accessibility, this is the winner. As I contemplate this more, I get more earthiness. It's on the dusty side. Somewhere I get a hint of spearmint (in a good way). This isn't as flat as it might have initially seemed. Yeah, this still tastes a lot like Aberlour. I'd better open some of my other Aberlours to compare. It's quite good, but not amazing. F: The finish gets a bit more bitter with more of the alcohol flavor coming out. The fruit does remain, but it's definitely on the bitter side. Some more of that dusty earth comes out. Some floral character still wafts through on occasion. - Conclusion - This is quite good, though I'm afraid I expected something better. The complexity is just not all here. It tastes like an upgraded version of Aberlour 12, but for the price it doesn't seem like an obvious win. Still, the more I explore this, the more complexity I get. And it's just very easy to sip on all occasions. For the price, I'm not sure this is a real winner, but it's sure enjoyable. I'm thinking a 16 or 17 for this one. I think I'd take Yellow Spot over this. I can also see how someone would prefer Redbreast 12 Cask Strength. I don't but I can understand that perspective. This has the least alcohol presence of the three, but it also just fails to wow me. I did briefly consider an 18 for this, but I don't think I can go with that right now. I currently have Yellow Spot at a 17, though it might deserve an 18. I think I'll go with 17 here for now.