Heading into the holiday weekend I got chatting with my local shopkeep and he started raving about this bottle. I will admit I have considered trying the Portwood, but never really looked at the CMR. Upon his glowing review I pulled the trigger on my first Dalmore. I am a little concerned I will like this since so many "experts" write this whole brand off, but then again who cares about them and their $10,000 bottles. Let's see if I got suckered or led to a gem. Nose is very figgy and raisin forward. This is almost like opening the lid of a Turkish fig jam. No peat or familiar scotch notes jumping out on this one. First sip is a mouthful here. There is an overload of flavors with notes of figs and dried cherries. A little heat joins the party mid sip, but the twist comes with the finish of coffee and dark cocoa. The finish could be a little longer, but isn't underwhelming. Dalmore has really done a masterful job with the finishing barrels here leading to a really nics dram. Overall it would appear I am a sheep so I will give a hearty "BAAAHHHH". Maybe this isn't the purist single malt expression, but it is a damn tasty one! Now for the tough part of giving this a rating. This really is enjoyable to sip, but that price is up there a bit. At $180 I won't be using this as an everynight go to, but it is a really nice bottle to have on the shelf for an occasional treat or to share with friends and family. If you can afford it this is definitely worth a pickup. After this bottle I am very likely to pick up that Portwood sooner than later.