The Aberlour 12 was okay. The 16 was very good, but calling it great would be a overstepping. Here's to hoping an extra two years in the barrel can put the Aberlour juice over the top. Nose: Lots of perfume. Plum, fig, date, and raisin. Jelly. Cranberry and raspberry. Cola. Dark red notes. Red apple and apricot. Orange zest. Caramel and butterscotch. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It's mostly tart but there are some tingly spice notes at the end. Powerful oak, as one would expect of an 18-year. Olorosso-dominant. Nice. Palate: Honeydew right off the bat. Orange zest. Golden raisin, cranberry, and raspberry. Apple, pear, and apricot. Brown sugar, caramel, and butterscotch. Vanilla and milk chocolate. Carrot cake sweetness. And plenty of oak. A nice balance between Olorosso and Bourbon cask. Finish: Almond and chestnut. Pumpkin spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Oak bitterness. Medium-length. And there it is. I finally found the winning Aberlour recipe. 18 it is. This one has the richness, depth, and proper cask influence to encapsulate the potential of Aberlour's distillate. A job well done. Now for VFM. This one hits it. I won't bother to run through the list of 18-year old Scottish single malts, because, quite frankly, there are many of them. I will say, however, that this one of the cheaper options remaining in this category. And it stacks up to the best of them. 4.5/5--And to answer my initial question, the 18-year is the Aberlour sweet spot.