Very pale in the glass. Honey water. Mostly thin but a little tacky on the glencairn when swirled. The nose is restrained but a tad sharp. Simmered marmalade, cereal grain, and crushed lemongrass. Unusually prominent barley notes. A pervasive floral undercurrent. Oatmeal and blackberries. Uncommon, but neither a plus or minus. Tart and acidic. Flashes sweet but ends more saccharine with a touch of minerality. Somewhere between apricot and tangerine. Granite. Salty in the way only scotch can be. Maybe too salty? Earthy and yeasty barley returns prominently. Lemon curd. Strong vein of flowers again. Coriander. Honey. Allspice. Some cream at the end with echoes of the tangy, saccharine sweetness returning. While I appreciate the 100 proof, I think it’s a little heavy handed when neat. Admittedly can proof down but not up. Reverberates impressively without any ethanol presence, but is just a touch too sharp. Metallic - but, more stainless steel than copper. Verdict is an unusual and tangy malt. Interesting and a bit challenging, but unfortunately not captivating. It feels like it has the backbone of some of my favorite assertive/musty/yeasty distillates, like Glenfarclas or Craigellachie, but hasn’t rounded off that prickliness with age and/or sherry in the way I have come to love. Quality product, no doubt, and iconic if unconventional packaging, but a close miss for my preferences. I understand there is very intentional batch variation, but reviewing my notes vs the critic reviews and distillery tasting notes I think they align pretty solidly. Batch 21/015, dominated by 1st or 2nd fill bourbon casks. I am surprised that this particular profile appears to be so universally appealing (3.8 @ 2k reviews), although the mystique of Islay may yield a slight bias (or my taste buds are 3rd rate - Occam’s razor suggests this may be the case). Continuing through the bottle I'll note it has grown on me, but not enough to rewrite the narrative. Appreciate the concept, distiller philosophy, and transparency. Would drink again, but probably won’t buy of my own accord.