I decided to kick off our 4th round of samples after stuffing my face with turkey all day. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This NAS whisky from the Campbeltown region of Scotland was provided by my friend Pranay. It comes in at a robust 46% ABV and is a blend of ex- first fill bourbon casks and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. It’s a rich, golden amber in the taster and looks plenty oily when you spin it. The nose was initially heavy on the fresh oak barrel with some green apple mingling with salty, seaside air. After resting for 15-20 minutes the PX sherry cask started to make its presence known. On the tongue, there were sugary toffee notes that were quickly subdued by a strong hit of apple brandy heat and harshness. The youth of the whisky really shows up and turns the dram into a bit of a chore to finish. It isn’t offensive, just strong. The finish is abrasive: heat and spicy oak battle for attention with sweet sherry showing up well after the sip- if you can handle just sitting there waiting for everything to cool down. This whole experience would be fine if you knew what to expect going in. Otherwise it’s a bit shocking. This whisky was originally a non-US release but a quick search on wine searcher found it readily available now across the US for $55-60. That’s asking a bit much for an abrasive, NAS juice IMO. It’s middle of the road for me in just about every aspect. Thanks again Pranay for offering this one up for the group. 3.25 stars. Cheers.