Tasted blind. Crisp yellow with very thin, quick legs. Nose: bourbon-esque wood, chocolate chip cookies, dried mango, funky library books, pomegranate. Palate: Lands a bit hot with lots of dark honey malt and leather moving toward some floral notes and then dark chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts. Body is thin to medium. Toffee shows up alongside the macadamia nuts on the finish. There’s a slight allspice tingle but nothing more than bittersweet. Finish: Very subtle with dusty, dark malt and bittersweet toffee and shortbread cookies. Impression: It’s nice to just experience straightforward, unadulterated malt flavors on occasion. This seems like the Master’s Keep 17y BiB equivalent of something like Oban or Glenfiddich 14 bourbon barrel finished. It has a “dusty” quality and bourbon influence (so basically wood) without the distractions of peat, smoke or a strong wine barrel finish. Nothing about this tugs at my heartstrings but nothing offends. This is a nice, grown up malt. Reveal: Glenfarclas 1990 (2018 bottling) CS So the math would make this a 28 year Glenfarclas! Those who are math savvy are disappointed but being numerically challenged and easily entertained I am fascinated at the difference between the standard 25 and this 28. For one I had no idea this was cask strength. There isn’t a sharp edge to it. The “dusty” quality helps showcase the extra aging and isn’t overwhelming in any way. The three years difference do seem to swap the sweeter raisin finish for that of a bittersweet, more “mature” finish. I personally enjoy sherry and will pour it after dinner on occasion. Whereas most younger expressions encroach upon a whisky-finished sherry the older expressions I’ve had are certainly more sherry-finished whisky. At this point in aging my palate can no longer appreciate the nuanced sherry influence. So far @Contemplativefox is really helping me cypher my ideal age window for scotch and it seems to be that 15 to 25 are the extremes (for my palate and wallet). This pour was a great experience but for now my palate just can’t appreciate anything much above 25y or $150.