This is my first recorded taste of an Oban whisky and my first ever taste of this expression. This is a first pour from a freshly opened bottle, tasted neat from a NEAT spirits tasting glass. The pour is a lovely brassy color and exhibits good sheeting and thick, slow legs drizzling back to the bowl on a swirl of the glass. On the nose this is absolutely delightful. I immediately get freshly sliced Honeycrisp and Gala apples. I'm also smelling demerara sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and baked apple pie filling. On the palate this is as gentle, smooth (I really don't like that descriptor, but damn if it isn't applicable here), silky, and rich as I could ask for. The mouthfeel of this whisky is exemplary. There is a sweet opening flavor that immediately brings association with apple skins, fresh baked apples, slight baking spices, brown sugar, and sweet grains. This is followed by other orchard fruits . I'm getting d'anjou and green pears, golden figs, and traces of ripe blackberry juice. Wow, this has a lot going on! The finish is long but very gentle A full minute after a swallow I can still sense the tingle of fresh ginger and there's a sweet coating left from mid to back palate and along the roof of the mouth. This is very inviting and its easy to want more. I purchased this at Costco for the princely sum of $38. As I understand it this is typically at $50+ bottle. This is an incredible bargain for a scotch whisky this refined. Even at $60 I'd be happy with this bottle. At the purchase price I found I've already put another trip to my local Costco on my calendar. I 'll be returning with a few more bottles of this!