This was my birthday dram... And I'm so glad it was. The nose is simply stunning: vanilla tobacco, dried fig, golden raisins, heather, nutty. On the pungently oaky palate, there are toasted and salted nuts, pistachios, shortbread, fresh ginger, and overripe cherries. At first this malt's mouthfeel is honey-sticky, but it becomes more drying as time goes on. The finish—the finish!—is long, leatherlike, antique, and luxurious. The richly malted aftertaste remains long after the gentle warming sensation has gone to your core. This is undoubtedly a star of Speyside.