Dalmore Rivers Collection, Tay Dram

I've previously discussed this Dalmore release from 2011, created to fund Scotland's rivers Tay, Tweed, Spey, and Dee. After trying one expression, I question the overall quality of these drams, as the first one, Tweed Dram, was decent but forgettable. This time, I opened the renowned "Tay Dram," seemingly the most costly of the four bottlings. It's bottled at 40% ABV. The nose is absolutely flawless. Caramelized oranges, maraschino cherries, and a granola power bar. Red berries, chocolate, and raisins. After some air, a rich mocha note appeared. A fantastic aroma. The palate is a bit more grounded. Red fruits, tobacco, and plums. Strawberry marmalade. The second sip felt a little thin. Strawberries, ginger, and liquorice. The finish is a good continuation of the other components. Tobacco, salt, grassy notes, sulphur, cigar, and coffee beans. In summary, this is much closer to a Dalmore Cigar Malt than a Dalmore 12yo. A very good, intricate, characterful dram. Truly lovely, I genuinely liked it. I suspect a higher ABV would have elevated it significantly, but even at 40% ABV, it's excellent. Naturally, I wouldn't expect a charity dram at 55% ABV, and the fact that this single malt is genuinely good despite the standard ABV is noteworthy. I rate it 93 out of 100.