The nose is initially lively with lots of sweet fruity notes, not unlike an ice wine. The Sauternes finishing must be at play here. Let it breathe a bit and it does calm right down though. Now you are presented with rich honey and malt and also some soft grassy notes. The palate does not deliver the sweetness expected from the nose, but this isn’t a bad thing. It gets right to the point with a big hit of barley, then straight into baking spices followed by some drier barrel notes. The journey reminds me of a Rye or American whiskey in terms of the order of each component. With the decent mouthfeel I was hoping it would slow down just a bit, as it does make me feel like I’m holding a tiger by the tail. The finish might be one of the more interesting parts, it’s long, and it’s warm and it’s seasoned well with salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice. This is a really good single malt with a tasty finish, but it’s priced a little high here. For 35 dollars less you can snag the Tullibardine Sauternes and have a similar experience from your dram.