Sherry-bomb time. My bottle comes from Batch 60, which clocks in at 60.3%. It's my strongest Scotch whisky to date. This has been high on my list for some time. Though I've heard the latest batches are not up to par with its mighty reputation, I was still excited to get into this one. I'm now right around halfway done with the bottle, so it's time for an assessment. Nose: As one might expect, it's a wave of red fruit off the bat. Rather than sweet and juicy, it's much drier than I expected. Sun-dried cranberry, fig, date, and raisin. Behind that are hints of zesty orange and golden apricot. Otherwise, it's a whole lot of spice. Cinnamon red hots, nutmeg, and allspice, as well as a monster oak note. With time in the glass, I pick up a cola note. It's hot, but feels closer to 50% than %60. Quality nose. Palate: More of those dark red fruits. Cranberry, fig, raisin, date, dark cherry, and rich plum. A bit of pound cake and leather behind that. Orange peel and bitter dark chocolate. Heavy cinnamon and baking spices remind you that this is a beast of a dram. Big oak. Golden apricot, ginger, and cola show up after the 20 minute mark. My only qualm with the nose is that some of the notes were a bit of artificial. On the palate, those same notes come across as perfectly organic, making this one hell of an experience. Finish: Long as they make 'em. Cinnamon, oak, and an array of baking spices. Black pepper kicks in just when you think it's finally over. ABV is apparent, but not overpowering. Solid finish. This is great stuff. I've noticed of late that prices have been coming down for this one. I used to see this from $100-115 on average; now, however, I've seen it more frequently around $85. According to some, this may be fitting, as there has apparently been a dip in quality. I found mine for $78. At that price, I'd say this is a no-brainer. A great showcasing of sherried scotch, especially that sublime palate. I'm happy to say that this one met my expectations. I'd known about this one fairly into my Scotch-drinking career, but always shied away because of price point. This particular batch is well worth the money I paid. I'd pay up if I had to. Maybe I got lucky with Batch 60. If this is really inferior to the previous batches, then this must have truly been a godly whisky. Well done, Aberlour.