Glenturret 12 years

Glass appearance is nondescript. After 3 minutes it forms very small, very thin, concentric, lace pearls about 1/4" from the base which are so faint you have to look hard to see they're there. A twirl leaves an even coat that hangs for 30-ish seconds before it starts to fall, forming inconsistent tendrils that drop of their own accord. After 4 minutes most are back at the bottom, but a stubborn few linger for 5 minutes longer before getting back to stasis. Nose is quite pleasing - fresh cooked bread, dried apricot, whole grain flour and rich caramel form a wonderful bouquet. The palate does a fair job of following the nose, with soft sugar cookies, dried dates, and baklava. Just as I'm starting to think this is heavy on the sweet, the middle gets dry and introduces white pepper, cigar tobacco and oak tannins to restore balance. The close is all oak, is relatively brief, and overall pleasant. Which I think is an apt way of describing this whole dram: pleasant. It's cohesive, balanced, logical, easy to trace from open through close, and doesn't set a foot astray along the way. And as such, it occupies the same space for me as Glenlivet 12, Glenfiddich 12, Speyburn 10 and Monkey Shoulder. And yes, if that company seems a little lackluster, a little unenthusiastic, well, then I've made my case.