Note - I'm doing the Really Good Whisky Company Advent Calendar. I've also decided to pour these whiskeys "blind" (or at least as blind as I can), then providing nose, palate, and finish notes. I'll then look at the label, proof, cask type, etc. before writing my other notes. I'll be providing some guesses around things like proof and cask type and then seeing how much I missed the mark. Slàinte Mhath! Nose: There's some rich funk happening here. Buttery, honeyed, and a touch of super-ripe plums. Raisins, too. Green apples and toasted grains. Just a touch of herbs, mostly thyme and mint. The depth and richness are telling me we're not in standard cask territory. Over-roasted nuts, bordering on burnt. Guessing sherry cask here? Maybe even Amontillado in the mix? Not knowing the distillate, I'm wondering if we're outside of Highlands and somewhere newer to me like Speyside - again, completely out of my depth so I really have no clue. There's a touch of minerality that might be coming from some light sea spray, though with the other character going on here, I'm not sure that's the case. We're in a fairly moderate proof territory. Guessing around 43% maybe? Palate: Fruits. Super ripe fruits. Fig, date, peach, plum. There's that raisin again. Honey and cream. Cask influence is high - that rich funk carries into the palate, but it's not new-makey funk. More like oak funk. Tells me this is higher in age - 15 years? Plenty of tannin, splashes of sweetened vanilla. Black pepper, hot cinnamon. Stewed apples. This drinks hot but clearly has plenty of barrel to add to that sensation. There's some sublte notes of hay, citrus oils, and the faintest hints of pine sap and maple syrups. This hits the mid-front palate pretty heavy. Well balanced, though a touch disjointed. Medium-light mouthfeel. Finish: Oak and dark fruits, vanilla and honey. The vanilla and honey fall back and frozen chocolate-covered bananas are revealed. Barrel char and smoke. We're left with dark fruit syrup, burnt nuts, and tannin. Medium length finish. Other notes: Blended malt - didn't even guess at the style here, but this makes sense. I noted on the palate it's a little "disjointed", almost like the blend didn't have enough time to sit and marry before bottling. Close on ABV again. No clue on age (can't find any information online) but the color and oak influence tells me there's at least some older stuff in here. I've seen some guesses that this is largely Speyside, but I have no way of confirming that myself. This is supposed to represent your typical sherry matured malt whisky. While I can't confirm that particular assertion, I can confirm that the sherry influence here is absolutely evident and reminds me of what I've found on other sherried offerings. I could easily recommend this to somebody looking for something fruity sweet instead of sugary sweet. Not my favorite otherwise, but still an interesting enough, perfectly serviceable glass. The learnings continue. Cheers!