Rating: 17/23 N: Citrus (tangerine, orange, lemon) mixed with the most lightly toasted bread. Oddly, butter. The faintest hint of malty sweetness, but it's very mild. Something a hair oily P: Smooth, mellow, spicy (black pepper and ginger mostly), faint oil, but it's super clean and neutral. The mouthfeel is decently full. There's a hint of something papery (with a bit of a mature complexity to it) and not a whiff of sulphur. Plenty of vanilla comes out, bringing a little bit of a fresh oak barrel quality to this. A little bit of toastiness with grain. There's nevertheless sort of a clean water sweetness to this. There is that faint butter flavor to this. A dash of alcohol, but it isn't too bad. A hint of manuka honey - or maybe that's just a dash of while pepper mixed with the other flavors. The balance here is great, but there isn't a ton going on. The complexity is fairly minimal and the flavors aren't super interesting. There certainly isn't anything objectionable though. This has passed the level of drams with decently good flavors that are muddled together and entered the level of Distinct, well-executed flavors, but it doesn't have anything great or a whole lot going on. Still, there is at least a lager of maturity in the paperiness and toasted grain. F: Vanilla. Citrus. occasional hints of spice. A light backing of toasty grain. - Conclusion - This has to be the least offensive scotch ever. It's not amazing, but it certainly is good. I just really want something more interesting. This is a far cry from the richness, maturity, and complexity of Carn Mor's 26 year old Glen Grant independent bottling, which is itself not incredibly complex, full or mature. I get that particular south highlands flavor to this in spades. If that's what you want, this is a great choice I personally want something more interesting though. Still, I'm looking at a 14 to 16 for this. I'm going with the 15, but generally I expect better from such an old scotch. There's a more refined character here that definitely beats Pure Scot Virgin Oak with its alcohol showing through, so I'm not going to go under a 15 for this. Could it really be a 16 though? Maybe. If so, I should consider moving the 26 year old Glen Grant from Carn Mor up to an 18. There's a decidedly improved complexity and better balance here than Dalmore 12 has, even though the Dalmore is richer. The Dalmore is definitely more muddled and less appealing. This also taste more mature than Mortlach 15 Six Kingdoms, but that one is more complex and interesting. They're moderately different stylistically, but I'm inclined to say that they're neck-and-neck quality-wise, so they'll probably both be 15s or 16s. I'm now leaning toward 16s for both. The more I try this, the more it grows on me. The flavors really stand out and there is a subtle layer deep down that adds a lot. This has a more subtle complexity than Loch Lomond 12 (16), but its variety of character is less abundant and both are nicely balanced. I go back and forth in terms of which I prefer. Shockingly, I think I'd lean toward this if I had to choose between the two - assuming I had a fairly fresh palate, of course. Carn Mor's Glen Grant 26 (1992) definitely beats this. The competitions with Loch Lomond 12 and Mortlach Six Kingdoms are closer. I think I might prefer this over the Loch Lomond, but the Mortlach is closer. I'm presently inclined to give both this and the Mortlach a 16. That 26 year old Glen Grant from Carn Mor might be more of an 18. I'm not sure to what extent it's (a tiny amount of) air in the bottle or a different palate or what, but that one has really grown on me. I did consider a 17 for a little bit, but I decided against it. Actually, in a last moment comparison with Mortlach 15 and Loch Lomond 12, this has a nice balance of complexity and maturity that I think earns a 17. I really didn't think I'd give this such a high rating. I'm finding this surprisingly competitive with Highland Park Wings Of The Eagle, though not quite as rich. The Highland Park has more of a new oak character to it, giving more of a youthful impression, but it's still quite good. Between the two, I find the Highland Park to be a bit better, but the difference isn't massive. To me, this is closer in quality to Highland Park Wings of the Eagle than Mortlach Six Kingdoms is.