A masterful letdown.... Such high hopes for this one. The nose is complex and intriguing - enticing me to jump into the taste. The initial and mid palate are delightful making me eager for a spectacular finish especially since the abv is high.... Alas the finish is an off-putting bitter note reminiscent of a negroni (read the campari bitter note). Absolutely ruins the whisky for my palate. I am a big opponent of negronis due to this bitter note. To the point that I make my negronis with Aperol instead of Campari to reduce this bitterness and make it slightly more sweet. If not for the bitter finish this rating would have most likely been in the stratosphere but instead we have a rather pedestrian rating and a whisky that I will not seek out again.. Especially at $200