Full bodied, meaty and robust, this Speyside malt was enhanced by a finish for 36 months in a first fill Pedro Ximenez barrel. It was a relatively long finish, and this helped in obtaining a very old-fashioned sherried style: already from the nose, the winey influence is evident, with intense notes of vermouth, orange peel, aperitif bitters. It’s nutty and slightly astringent, with notes of maraschino cherries too. It’s just as much of a “sherry bomb” at the palate too: a very tannic, winey, nutty attack, but then (maybe with a drop of water) it opens up to layers of complexity and sweetness. Dried plums, chinotto, orange peel and candied fruit, and a hint of raisins. It remains rich, enveloping, darkly winey and chewy in the finale too, with a warm and muscular style that is typical of some of the heavier sherried single malts from the region.