Rating: 18/23 I generally enjoy the Tyrconnell 15 Madeira Cask Finish, but it doesn't blow my away. I like its sweetness, richness, and smoothness, but it isn't terribly interesting to dig into. I'm hoping that with some Oloroso in this and an extra year of age this will be a little more compelling. N: Rich malt with some wood and barrel spice gives way to guava, some pecan, vanilla, a touch of orange, and a little bit of ethanol. It doesn't smell super complex, but it sure does smell decadent. P: I definitely get some spice and tannins helping to build the maturity. They're quite nice flavors and really add a layer that I think the Tyrconnell 15 Madeira is missing. It's still sweet and fruity, but balanced against the tannins. It tastes fairly mature and mellow, though the flavors aren't tremendously sophisticated with elegant depth and balance as they blend into each other seamlessly. Here, they're a bit more distinct, but bold, rich, full, and decadent. I get that guava from the nose with a bit of oil and pecan. Some tangerine comes out as well, and some vanilla later on. The spice (clove, ginger, cinnamon) burns a little bit, but not at all unreasonably and it isn't harsh. F: Guava, vanilla, a little tangerine. Some barrel in the background, but not so much in the way of tannins. - Conclusion - This is nicely done; a very enjoyable sipper. That said, it certainly isn't blowing me away. I'm leaning in favor of it slightly over Tyrconnell 15 Madeira Cask Finish (17/23), but not by a large margin. This seems a bit more complete, but not as much more as I'd hoped. Still, I won't be too down on it since it's quite tasty. In terms of a score, this is certainly no lower than a 16. Sure, it's not the most complex and mature, but it definitely is decadent. I'm thinking a 17 or 18. I see how some can really love these Tyrconnell finished releases. They aren't blowing my mind, but boy are they hedonistic. This is highly competitive with Highland Park 16 Wings Of The Eagle (17/23). There's more complexity coming out of the Highland Park (a bit surprising for this particular Highland Park release), but there's some sulphur as well (also surprising). I'm thinking that the Highland Park is a touch better than the Tyrconnell 15 Madeira and that this is a touch better than the Highland Park. A De Fussigny XO (18/23) burns a bit more than this, but it's also more complex and vibrant. Compared to it, this is richer and even has a hint of a peanut flavor. Considering that this seems on par to better than the Highland Park and competes with the A De Fussigny, I'm going to give this an 18. The value here is honestly not great, but I definitely don't regret this purchase. This might even be competitive with my bottle of Cadenhead's Tullibardine 25 (1993), but that's a hard call to make seeing as this is more fruity and slightly rough, whereas the Tullibardine shows more fruit and honey with greater maturity and possibly subtlety. Considering how close these two are, I'm feeling confident now about giving this an 18. I've actually been considering upping the Tyrconnell 15 Madeira to an 18 as well. I don't think that it's quite on the level of the Tullibardine, but its complexity has really improved with a year of air and its hedonism hasn't been sacrificed. I don't think that it matches the Tullibardine, but it's better than I remembered it to be. I don't quite think that this is on the level of the Tullibardine because this isn't quite as mature, but they're pretty close (though stylistically very different). I'm sticking with my 18 here. Great hedonism, but not as mature as I'd like. I'd love to try a 21 year old version of this. There isn't a ton of alcohol flavor in the Tyrconnell 15 Madeira, but there's a bit less in this. This is more traditional (and perhaps bland) in its profile, but it's tasty. This isn't the most deep, complex, or mature, but it's hedonistic and interesting enough without being challenging. My bottle of That Boutique-y Whisky Company Auchroisk 19 (18/23) has some nice milkiness with somewhat more mature grain than this has. This has a bolder, more interesting flavor though. It's a kind of touch call between the two, but I'd lean toward this. The Auchroisk may be fuller with its slightly higher proof (49.4%), but this really has some nice nuance. The Auchroisk is fuller and might taste a little older, but the two are competitive. The Tyrconnell 15 Madeira seems competitive with the Auchroisk based on its (surprising) complexity, but it isn't as full and there's a touch of a cough syrup flavor holding it back. The two are competitive, though I think I'd choose the Auchroisk if I had to. Although it isn't initially all that complex, the depth really builds with it and the solid richness and awesome fullness really do stand out. This hold up better against it because it shows complexity without getting more than a finger into cough syrup territory. Look, this isn't the defining comparison, but this was an 18 before and it's competitive in the 18 category now, so it's staying an 18.