Rich and sweet with raisin and chocolate notes throughout. This is a remarkably smooth Scotch. Orange and spices also make appearances. It is reminiscent of the holidays. As a whole, this is a great Scotch, but it is hard to justify at its high price. The thing is, for a Scotch as expensive as this one, there needs to be something that really stands out about it and makes it different from being just an upgraded version of another drink with a bit of a twist. There's a surprising licorice presence here that is probably the result of combining chocolate and raisins. It's definitely good, though the strong ABV does come through and it has a dry finish. There is sweetness, but also lots of bitterness. It isn't particularly harsh and the spices that are present are well-balanced and minimal. Better than Glengoyne 15? A bit. Worth the massive price difference. Not really. I actually like the Glenmorangie 18 better. The finish is dry, but also rich and creamy. Quite good, but not really amazing. I wish there were more interesting elements here. This is a really good drink. I'm not a fan of the sawdust flavor, but the espresso and dark chocolate are quite appealing. The sweetness of dates is nice and the hints of orange and apricot really build this drink up. It is supremely rich with a nice amount of complexity. Some spices stand out too and the flavors are all balanced. There is more going on here than in the Macallan Rare Cask and the flavor is really good once the sawdust drops out. It's an excellent drink that unfortunately has the price tag of an excellent drink. The spices, fruit, chocolate, wood, vanilla, and other complexifiers produce a wonderful drink here. Maybe it isn't quite the greatest and is hard to justify at its price point, but this is really good Scotch.