Rating: 16/23 N: Malty, sweet, ethanol. Hints of the barley and maybe some sort of faint sherry finishing. This doesn't have a lot going on, but what it has is very approachable and decadent, with some really nice boldness and fullness. P: This is smooth and easy-drinking, with just enough going on and some nice sweet character. I also get some of that Westward yeasty funkiness. It doesn't taste all that old, but it doesn't have a youthful alcohol flavor either. Flavor-wise, I get malt with caramel and yeast, with not the boldest of any of those. nose of sherry (I'm thinking oloroso nuttiness and a clear cherry flavor). Overall, this has a nice balance of fruit and yeast with malt, in a way that reminds me of Westward. F: This is pretty clean, but it does have malty flavors with some fruit and light floral character. The key element is that this is clean in the malty dimension. Without obstruction, some of the mature characteristics could develop into some more standard flavors. I feel like that is ambiguous to say, but I'm thinking that the more I sip, the more I wear out my palate. Honestly, I'm trying hard to be generous here. This is tasty, but young and struggling. - Conclusion - Side by side, Westward is more funky and nuanced. This is fruitier and more approachable, but also has more alcohol and less maturity. This is still nice, but it's an immature dram, so it doesn't compete with more mature spirits. Still, it's quite nice. Monkey Shoulder is fine, but it tastes more like alcohol. It also tastes more like alcohol. That's, not good, but not damning. Monkey Shoulder (14/23) is clearly less mature than this, with more alcohol going on. At the same time, this is struggling to meet the quality of Kavalan Distillery Select. At times, I think that this is not much better than the Monkey Shoulder, but this is definitely always better. This is at least a 15. There is not much evidence to suggest that it beats a 16 though. Kavalan Distillery Select #1 (16/23) is more mature and tannic than this is, but it's also a bit more aggressive. I'd take that over this. I think that this is being pushed solidly into the 15 range. With more comparison with other impressions.... This is a 15 or 16, no question. I'm leaning 15. Still, a 16 is very plausible. OK, after much contemplation, I'm getting some generic fruity elements with a high degree of failure. Whoa. This isn't that hard to anticipate, brut it's hard to appreciate and doesn't work for enjoying. Coming back to this for one final comparison, the buttery and yeasty richness really stands out. This is just so decadent and easy to sip. It's definitely not on par with Westward, but it's very competitive with the Kavalan. I could even believe that this is a 17, though I don't really think that it is. For $45, Stranahan's has put out a shockingly good dram. In fact, there's a good chance that if I were choosing a daily single malt, I'd go for this. I think it's just across that line where it goes from sometimes not so appealing to always at least slightly appealing. Very nicely done.