For a while now I've wondered what all the fuss about sherried scotches is for. I like the flavor of sherry, and the concept of finishing a whisky in a wine barrel is novel to be sure, but I've always preferred the peaty, more complex flavors to the sherried drams, which almost fell like drinking one's desert so to speak. Then come along the lads at Compass Box Whisky. These guys. They've been around for a while now and they only now come out with a sherry bomb, whereas things like Peat Monster and Spice Tree have been around for some time. I gotta say, it was worth the wait. The "transparency document" on their website says that The Spaniard is comprised of 40% single malt from Aberlour (which has won all sorts of awards) and 25% malt that was then finished in a Spanish wine cask (they don't mention what type of wine. Type in the comments below if you know). They also include a healthy portion of their "vatted highland malt" which shows up in all their core bottlings (think of it as the CBW handshake). The whisky develops over time as you drink it. Initially on the nose you get the wine cask influence, which is to be expected, and I don't get any of the astringent notes that some of the other reviews suggest. The taste is superb. On the first sip I get the sherry influence, particularly the raisins and dates (mmmmm dates...) which I just let linger for a bit. A revisit a few minutes later brings out some of the creaminess of the "vatted malt" that CBW uses in their core bottlings, reminding me of Oak Cross with its creamy, vanilla notes, with the sherry still hanging out in the background. The finish is looooonnnnggg, with all those wine cask notes hanging around dancing with the creamy, Highland malt notes. The 43% ABV (lower than some other CBW expressions) is just enough to leave a bit of a tingle on your palate as you ponder what else you might be able to divine out of this dram. Another home run from CBW. As I've said in earlier reviews, I could drink anything these guys put out for the rest of my life. I love when my whisky makes me think as much as my work does. Cheers!