This is cask no. MO100625015A. I have bottles 398 and 399 out of 499. 55.6% ABV. Near the start of the COVID pandemic, for $800, I had a choice between a pair of these ridiculously ornate 10 pound wooden boxes containing premium Kavalan whisky; or a pair of 10 pound dumbbells for my home gym. I chose the former. What Kavalan Single Cask Strength Moscatel Sherry Cask brings is merely the best sherried whisky I’ve tasted in recent memory. I have not been this blown away by a sherry bomb since the early bottlings of Aberlour A’bunadh about a decade ago. Imagine the complexity of a Glendronach 18 with the cleanliness of older Macallan 18, but bottled at 55.6%. I highly recommend you do not start drinking this neat. It is too rich. It is so sweet that it is bitter. It is so sherried that it just taste like vodka soaked prunes. It is almost unidentifiable as whisky. I believe the closest tasting spirit in my collection to this whisky when poured neat is a rum: Diplomatico Ambassador, which is a PX sherry aged sherry bomb of a rum. Water this down to 45-50%, and it opens up and becomes more inviting. There’s still prunes, as well as raisins, dates, and grapes. But, with water, the sweetness is diluted to levels that are actually comprehensible, and now you can actually taste some malt and believe that this may actually be a single malt whisky. But after trying this with water, I recommend you then return to this neat. Now that your tastebuds are acquainted, they may be ready to appreciate this absolute fucking sherry syrup extract. There’s no sulphur; there’s no sudden woody harshness you get with these modern “sherry seasoned” attempts. How in the world did Kavalan get a hold of these casks for their single cask expressions? I did not know you could still experience sherried whisky like this. You can skip the Kavalan Vinho, by the way; it’s half the price but not nearly as good. If you’re thinking about spending $250 on some good whisky, you might as well spend $500 on the best whisky in a certain flavor profile. Score: *** (I am not worthy) How much does a bottle cost?: $400-600 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $600