Nose: Lots of sweet, rich sherry. Oranges, red berries, spice notes and butterscotch. A hint of anise and a note of rum – a very Christmas pudding aroma. There’s a firm foundation under all the juicy sweet notes with some excellent oak apparent. It’s a very old-school, sweetly intense and leathery nose. Palate: Fruitcake, orange peel, sultanas – lighter than the nose would make you expect, but still very sherry and raisin driven. Cherry Danish in the development with surrounding cappuccino notes. The texture is full and velvety. Finish: Medium/short, but very rounded and pleasant with a tiny hint of bitter orange. Dalmore is always very polished and well-finished. It makes me think of highly waxed mahogany sideboards in centuries-old oak panelled drawing rooms, with dishes of chocolate covered caramel and orange pieces and glasses of good sweet sherry. Its whole demeanor is elegant, refined and poised. Like all Dalmore expressions I would love to see this released at a slightly higher abv but it's not something that bothers me too much. The profile is so large and rich that it makes up for the base-level strength in a way that most other whiskies would not be able to pull off. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)