Strathmill "Back Home Almost" Apollo 10, The Whisky Barrel Exclusive

This is the third review from The Whisky Barrel's "Apollo Collection," featuring Strathsmill 14yo named "BACK HOME ALMOST." This expression honors the Apollo 10 mission, which paved the way for the first moon landing. The astronauts orbited the moon and even reached its far side, capturing images to guide the Apollo 11 landing site. Bottled at 61% ABV, this single malt displays a lovely deep red color. The nose is incredible: Cabernet sauvignon, metallic, and paper notes are present, along with almonds and chocolate milk, hazelnut, and freshly baked brownies. It's very sweet with a touch of sulfur. After the first sip, the aroma shifts to pleasant vanilla with grapes and raisins, dulce de leche ice cream, coffee, and bananas. The palate is not overly complex but quite delicious, offering Cabernet sauvignon, a pepper explosion, and some red fruits, along with toffee ice cream and caramel. The aftertaste is a bit short, which is somewhat disappointing. It features cotton candy, ginger, acidic prunes, and dulce de leche. It's very dry and doesn't linger long. Overall, considering the 61% ABV, this is relatively easy to drink. It presents numerous sweet flavors and aromas, predominantly a wine-like profile resulting from maturation in a first-fill sherry butt. It's a very good whisky from a distillery I haven't sampled before. My rating is 90 out of 100.