This is a distillery I’ve been waiting a long time to explore. I was gifted Batch 002 of their Cask Strength a few years ago, and it was a solid pour. Yet, it’s not until now that I’ve revisited the distillery. I’m not sure if you’d consider this or the 10 year their flagship release, but this felt like a good place to start. Note: This is from their old style of packaging. The tall, sleek tube with the white background and red drawing. It’s likely that this was bottled upwards of 10 years ago. Nose: Gala apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. Strong cherry and red/purple grape notes. Vanilla, malt, and toffee. Sandalwood. Coconut. Sugar cookie. Palate: Heavy on the almond and walnut. Some cinnamon spice. Vanilla, toffee, and malt. Milk chocolate, caramel, and honey. A splash of Sprite. The citrus is all lemon and lime. Ginger snaps. Raisins. Sugar cookie. Cranberry. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Gala apple, pear, apricot. Cohesive and layered. Finish: Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and white pepper. Orange citrus and nectarine. White pepper. Pencil shavings. Vanilla, malt, and toffee. Green grape and golden raisin. Moderate to long finish. This is a strong performance for a flagship bottling. It’s a spicy affair, and it gets every last bit of mileage out of an already respectable 56% ABV. It’s priced slightly high for what it is. But it really is excellent judged purely on its merits. The work that went into crafting this is apparent, and at $65, I’d highly recommend you grab if you can. I guess that it’s y all that for a standard 12 year old anymore either. What sets this apart is how interesting the combination of heat and depth of flavor—especially on the palate and finish. When I’m looking for a bottle of entry Speyside or Highland whisky, this will sit toward the very top of that list. 4.5/5.