Glendronach Hand-Filled, Px Puncheon #210, single cask, distilled on 15/12/05, bottled 10/10/19

I am a great admirer of Glendronach. Glendronach is the premier distillery, and their whiskies are outstanding. Having stated that, which was crucial for you to grasp (lol), this specific bottling is a hand-filled selection acquired at the distillery. It was a 13-year-old whisky (nearly 14), aged in a PX puncheon, a single cask, bottled at 60% ABV. It was someone else's highly desired bottle, which they had to auction off, and being the despicable person I am, I purchased that individual's dream to share with my friends. Well, I must say, it was absolutely magnificent, among the finest drams I've ever experienced. I had previously sampled my own hand-filled bottle, which I filled myself at the distillery, and to this day, that remains my favorite whisky of all time. So, yes, you should definitely seek out one of these expressions. (And no, it wasn't my favorite simply because I filled the bottle; I have other bottles from different distilleries that I've also filled myself, and they don't come close in comparison.) After all that background, let's discuss the details: On the nose, a universe of scents. Raisins, figs, dates, champagne cola; oranges, flan caramel, toffee; sawdust; an exquisite burnt caramel crème brûlée; damp cake, tiramisu, cocoa powder, creamy ice cream; apple strudel, and "tres leches" sweetness. Truly extraordinary. Following the initial taste, it offered notes of blackberry marmalade, red wine, more figs, and damp cake, raisins; a "Lolita Lempica" women's perfume; Aunt Jemima honey syrup, sandalwood, and Danish cookies. Go back, reread all that, and ask yourself if I could possibly refrain from awarding this a perfect score for its nose. On the palate, what a wonder. Flan, a tres leches sweet dessert, pepper spice, cake. A second taste revealed red fruits, raisins, hazelnut, and butterscotch. The finish was sublime. Chocolate, flan, tres leches sweetness; tobacco. A fine Cuban cigar, oak spice; chili. Everything was delivered impeccably, incredibly potent yet rewarding, and not excessively harsh for the high ABV. Overall, this is an exceptional whisky; it fully merits my perfect score. I have discovered, as many of you have as well, my ideal distillery. Glendronach's 18yo and 21yo consistently contend for the title of the greatest "core range" whisky in my estimation. Therefore, it goes without saying, my rating for this is a perfect 100. Cheers!