My immediate thought was to compare this to Lagavulin Distillers Edition, which is aged for approximately 17 years, including a final year in sherry casks, and is bottled at a similar ABV. Compared to that incredible whisky, BenRiach 18 falls slightly short, but that's no discredit to it. The nose is first-rate, with scents of fruit and berry jam, including raspberries, cranberries, and grape. The intense fruitiness and richness comes from the PX casks, and is expressed here more strongly than in Lagavulin Distillers Edition. The peat is faint on the nose, and not particularly smoky. I could taste this scotch all day, as those jam notes combine with a warming, smoky peat. That smoke is rare in peated Highland single malts, particularly given the lengthy aging, so this whisky must have been heavily peated at the outset. The finish is more in the classic sherried scotch mold of Auchentoshan Three Wood, but with more balance from the spice and slightly bitter, savory flavors characteristic of a peated whisky. At $125 or so, it was not cheap when it was available, but this may be one of the best examples of the peated Highland/Speyside style that I've tried. I had Kilchoman 10th Anniversary on the same day and, to be honest, this scotch blew the Kilchoman out of the water.