A deep gold/amontillado color. Surprisingly fresh aromas of ripe pear, pear juice, poached pear, apple, orchard fruits, and clove spice. On the palate, there's an abundance of honey sweetness, cereal, heather, and cookie. The extra ABV lends a nice weight and heft to the mid-palate that showcases a pear and apricot confit dusted with fresh cracked peppercorn and clove, but never feels hot or overbearing. The finish echoes more pear and orchard fruits sprinkled with Southeast Asian spices. What makes this whiskey particularly enjoyable is its freshness and appeal. I can't stop enjoying it. It is very pear and orchard fruit forward, but it remains so fresh and easy despite its age, almost impossible to put down. A very "white wine-esque" Scotch that vastly outperformed my expectations given its progeny. Campari took over this distillery 15 years ago and this simple, no-frills bottling in ex-Bourbon barrels showcases the underlying potential brilliance of the distillery.