Murray McDavid Benchmark Tomatin 14 Year Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish

Sourced from Tomatin Distillery Cask No. 2000172 Distilled in 2008 Bottled in 2024 Aged in ex-bourbon hogshead for 11 years Finished in first-fill oloroso sherry hogshead for 3 years Age - 14 years 62.8% alcohol by volume; 125.6 proof Opened 2 days Nose - Rich stewed fruits, candied figs, heavy red wine, raisins, Demerara sugar, freshly baked goods, white pepper, moderate oak, and moderate ethanol. Palate - Mixed berry cobbler, baklava, grilled peaches, orange chocolate, sweet cinnamon, kettle corn, and maple candy. The finish is long with velvety rich dark fruits, molten raisins, dried barley, milk chocolate, movie theater popcorn, rich tobacco, and moderate ethanol. This is astounding. I can't think of another way to describe it. When you hear descriptions like figgy pudding or Christmas spice, this is precisely how you'd imagine those tasting in liquid form. Perhaps like a cask strength version of Troegs The Mad Elf or Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale? The most surprising and delightful aspect of this whiskey is its delicacy yet richness on the palate. It's fruity, oily, sweet, and drinks as if it were lower proof than stated. I truly appreciate these cask strength releases from independent bottlers in Scotland. They typically offer exceptional value in terms of age, finishing, and alcohol content when compared to major distilleries. Based on my limited experience, this is the opposite of what we observe in the USA with large distilleries and non-distiller producers. I considered the Mossburn single barrel cask strength selections I purchased over the past 3 years for $70-80 to be excellent. However, the two recent Murray McDavid releases I've reviewed are on a completely different level (and price point as well). The Mystery Malt Glenfarclas 15Y cask strength was my favorite Scotch until this. There are numerous excellent high-proof Scotches from major distilleries, and almost all are without an age statement. As much as I enjoy Aberlour A'bunadh, Glenfarclas 105, or Ardbeg Uigeadail, it's evident that those contain much younger whiskey. Considering the cost of many widely available high-proof Scotch whiskeys is around $100, I would find it difficult to justify purchasing one of those if I saw a Murray McDavid, Mossburn, or another independent bottler available. I used to tell myself that anything over $100 was a waste of money, but I've been reconsidering that lately. I'm not only buying a second bottle of this for a gift, but there was also a GlenAllachie 15Y Tawny Port Finish that will likely be in my collection next week.