Ah, Dalmore. The controversial brand whose reputation spans from beloved to despised. Touted for its quality, derided for its price. It’s always a mixed bag with this one. I though the 12-year was fine; let’s see what the next step up in the core range has to offer. Nose: Massive orchard fruit presence jumps out of the glass. Apple, pear, and apricot could be more pronounced. Plum, raisin, date, fig, and pound cake develop after several minutes. Toffee, vanilla, honey, white chocolate, and butterscotch add an extra layer of sweet notes. Walnut, pecan, and heavy almond. Shoe leather and molasses. A touch of orange citrus, some honeydew, and a sprinkle of white pepper. Sun-dried tomato. Prominent oak. Very, very nice nose. Palate: Cranberry, raisin, plum, date, fig, and pound cake now take the forefront, while the apple, pear, and apricot reside in the background. The pecan, walnut, and almond also transfer from the nose. Cola. Vanilla frosting, milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, and butterscotch. Blackberry. Honeydew. Orange citrus. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Cranberry, raisin, plum, date, fig, apple, pear, apricot. Dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla., and pound cake. Orange citrus. Sun-dried tomato. Cola and ginger snap. Black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium length. This is a fine whisky. It’s delicious, and adds some punch that 12-year old was missing. Nose, palate, and finish offer an excellent combination of notes. My only hang-up with this one is the price. $130 for a 40% ABV whisky. This actually punches above its weight, but 40-even just reads as a lap in the face to any experienced whisky. Feel free to challenge me if you disagree. $130 is steep for a 15-year old. This is quite good, and drinks like a 4-star whisky in a cost-vacuum, but because I factor price and ABV into my score, I can’t go above 3.5 for this one. Regardless, this a solid whisky. If you’re a Dalmore fan or a fan of sherried-Scotch and cost isn’t an issue, you’ll enjoy this. 3.5/5.