North Star Spirits tasting event, Sydney, February 21, 2020, Whisky #1 Nose: Sweetly fruity and floral, but not intensely so. A gentle aroma of red apple, apricot, rockmelon, red berries, vanilla and musk. There is a mildly oily quality to the nose like tanned leather and it also has an earthy note. As the dram rests and opens there is a tiny hint of menthol in the background and a mild hint of sherry, but it's well restrained. It is a little spirity, but not unpleasantly so - maybe zesty is a better description. Palate: A sweet and almost effervescent arrival with a crisp, fresh cereal quality mellowed by a slight buttery note. As it develops the sherry cask becomes a little more obvious with some dried fruits emerging along with sweet malt. The texture is lively but rich. Finish: Medium. Sweet malty and fruit notes that fade out into a gentle aftertaste. For oloroso cask maturation this is surprisingly like an ex-bourbon cask, and I'd believe you if you said it was bourbon for 12 years with a moderate sherry finish. The fortified wine is well in the background providing a subtle framework and it's not at all a sherry bomb. Excellent - just how I like it! The nose is fragrant and full and the palate is polite and very welcoming. There is something about this expression reminiscent of Bruichladdich Classic Laddie - it has that same fragrant/floral red-wine cask character. The nose is a touch spirity but a tiny dash of water (just a few drops) dispels this completely. As I came back to this dram throughout the night it became progressively less impressive, but that was only because it was being compared to some stunning old whisky. Taken on its own merits it's a really enjoyable teenage Authroisk that displays all the best aspects of this workhorse Diageo malt that you don't get in the OB Flora & Fauna bottling. This is a cracking good single cask release and it's reasonably priced. I bought a bottle on the night. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)