Open 2.5 months Nose - Sickly sweet dark honey, tannic and dry red wine, figs, raisins, stewed dark fruits, scented candles, pine resin, shiny esters, and medium-strong ethanol. Palate - Rich sherry bomb, honey, molasses, cereal malt, raisins, figs, stewed dark fruits, more dry than sweet and syrupy, chalk and mineral water, and dry ethanol bite and sherry on the mid palate. Finish is long with the drier sherry and oak tannin notes taking over, waxy, raisins, light cocoa, baking spices, sharp grain and malt, and spicy ethanol on the back end. The dryness, chalky wax, and sharp notes are why I ding it slightly. I bought this for my brother's Christmas gift, but siphoned off a 4 oz sample to enjoy later. It's hard to find a plethora of cask strength Scotch, particularly the unpeated variety, in NC. I went to a hole-in-the-wall ABC store in the mountains that I know has an eclectic selection, and picked this. It was all by itself, covered in dust, and likely one of the last Glenfarclas 105 in NC since Glenfarclas products haven't been listed on the ABC website in a while. It met all expectations, and is a fantastic substitute for Aberlour A'bunadh which I already had on hand. I do not think it is as well-rounded as the Aberlour. There is slightly more ethanol bite and sharp shiny edges in the Glenfarclas. But it is also $20 cheaper, can't complain about that. I don't get the average reviews on this either. My guess is a lot of those come from Scotch-first drinkers who think the proof is overwhelming. As a bourbon and rye cask strength enthusiast, this hits the sweet spot.