Glenfiddich Malt Master's Edition Sherry Cask Finish

I read this bottle goes for about $80 (up to $90) in the US. So when I found it for ¥5,000 ($69) I didn't hesitate, cause I like Glenfiddich, and also after reading @WhiskyBee 's nice comments about the finish, I had to drink it!

(no water added) Nose: Raisin chocolate hits me first. Sherry (obviously), cold soft pear. A very sweet nose. A little too sweet for my personal taste. Getting some more perfumy stuff towards the edges of the Glencairn

Delivery: This is something that makes me chew instinctively. It's by no means a complex start. But I don't necessary need complexity, and that's not what I'm look for in a Glenfiddich anyway. How to describe? I'm not impressed by the taste, however I find it absolutely delicious. Malty and sweet, and right about when it's traveling back before the swallow the sherry starts creeping in.

Finish: I'm not anywhere near qualified to describe this, but I still wanted to post a review about it this great whisky because there aren't many out there yet. This finish takes you on a ride...chewy sherry, oak makes a subtle and dry appearance. Then creamy sweetness, and I feel as if it has a slightly higher ABV than the stated 43%. What happens then, not always but this it what if often get; the finish kind of disappears for a brief moment, then starts again. The first time I took a sip from this bottle I thought "that's it?! Not as long as I expec...oh here we go again!" Slow pulses of malt, dark chocolate, not so sweet banana... Very harmonic, and a little woody/dry, hardly any bitterness. Very long, I don't think I have experienced the end if this finish, I'm too impatient and will always have the next sip before it's over.

Summary: I was taken away by the finish the first time I had a sip, I was kidnapped with a serious case of the Stockholm syndrome. But now after several evenings with this bottle I feel like I have gotten used to it more. Some of the initial pleasure was the surprise it gave me. Still, I will call this whisky great. If you see this bottle in a bar, I strongly recommend anyone to start the night with it to experience the finish. If you like Glenfiddich, then get the bottle, it's a little pricy, but it's just about worth it in my opinion.

From the press releases, we learn that this expression was crafted by Glenfiddich's Malt Master Brian Kinsman, in celebration of the distillery's 125th anniversary. Aged 6 - 8 years in bourbon casks, then 4 - 6 years in sherry casks, this whisky has a (semi-) limited release of 18,000 bottles, and a reasonable price of about $80 US.

Nose: Malt, wood smoke, vanilla, nuts, berries, pepper, and a fair amount of sherry influence. Layered, complex, but very subdued. There's a great deal going on, but it's all being told in whispers. Becomes wonderfully rich and full-bodied as it opens up. Let it sit.

Arrival/Development: Seems a bit disappointing at first (but just wait). More one-dimensional than the nose would suggest, with malt and roasted brown sugar dominating. The sherry has virtually disappeared. Nice, but not particularly interesting, frankly.

Finish: Here's where the Malt Master's Edition makes up for its shortcomings and then some. Ranks among the best finish experiences I've ever had with any whisky. Buttery, smoky, fruity (cherries, bananas, and bitter apple), with healthy layers of vanilla, malt, and caramel. Warm, smooth, ultra-rich, and it lasts forever with additional layers revealing themselves a full two or three minutes after swallowing.

To sum up in a sentence: nice on the nose, mediocre in the mouth, greatness down the gullet. I usually don't award marks so high when a whisky offers only one outstanding tasting-experience component, but I'll make an exception when that component is so spectacular that it deserves to be experienced by all malt lovers.