100th tasting! Thought I’d do an old standby for this one. My local Total Wine sells this for an absurdly low price, and I always tell myself I’ll pick it up next time. Over the holidays I got way overcharged for a pour of this at a bar on Long Island ($22. WTF!) and had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about this dram, but I broke down and picked up a bottle. The one I’m reviewing is the 43% ABV version. The nose is full of sherry notes (dark fruits, raisins, yada yada...). Quite pleasant, but wait! A surprise around the corner! The palate has much more of a floral, honeyed taste (think Balvenie). Very light. Very pleasant. The peat comes in on the finish, and it’s not the bellowing, in your face Islay peat, but a gentler version, with more heather softness than briny, iodine peat. What a lovely dram. If you’ve got a buddy who wants to get into scotch, this is a great starting point. It’s got sherry, malt, and peat, with all three being cleanly integrated with nobody singing any louder than the other. A great, quality scotch that deserves a spot in anyone’s liquor cabinet.