Buchanan's De Luxe 12 Year

This bottle has surpassed Hudson Baby Bourbon as the most aggravating bottle to open in all my years. The top did not unscrew--didn't even budge. It took a hammer and a flathead screwdriver just to get to the marble stopper that everyone seemed to have a problem with, at least according to the internet. I'll try to forget my frustration from that night and give unbiased review (maybe.) Nose: A little faint. Patience reveals some pretty nice notes though. Orange, pineapple, and cucumber. Green, grainy, grassy notes. Malt, caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. A little bit of metallic grain, which is a mild detractor. Oak. Not even a hint of alcohol burn. Palate: Green apple and pear. Apricot and banana. Cocoa and caramel. Vanilla and malt. Orange and pineapple. Toffee and milk chocolate. Cucumber and agave. Honey. None of the astringent notes from the nose. Rock solid palate. Finish: Malt, vanilla, milk chocolate. Cucumber and apricot. Banana and green apple. Orange, lemon, and cucumber. Light baking spice and oak. Moderate length, which is surprising at 40% ABV. Good stuff. Bottle opening difficulties aside, this is a great blend. I know it's a Diageo product, but it was hard to find any info on its single malt components. I read Dalwhinnie a couple places. That's a great base. Couldn't find anything else. Whatever comprises this blend, it works. This is probably the best blended Scotch I've reviewed, though I will buy the Compass Box core releases in time. Buchanan's 12 is much better than Hedonism, and I can get 3 bottles of the former for the cost of one of the latter. $33 is a bargain for a blend like this. Great bottle to bring to a party for casual whiskey drinkers or to order at a dive bar. 3.5/5.

Peat, apples, fruity, pepper. Ok

Not a great smell. Neat: front is malty. The mid is the best part of this product, it's smooth. Then a moderate-high bite with lingering spice. With water: I cannot detect any new flavors.