Dank bottle aesthetic - keep it coming. Flips the bird to the run of the mill corporate marketing department. A pale straw in the glass. Weak legs but a smidge of oil to the liquid. A bit of a floral+chemical nose with a muted vanilla undercurrent. It doesn’t nose harshly, but nevertheless usually forces me out after a solid huff, confirming the youth. Hint of prune, but hard to place overall. A bit of paint thinner. Not a killer, but surely not a selling point. Thin, but retains a tease of oily texture. A light vanilla opening reminiscent of recent experiences with Toki or Hatozaki. Those prune notes eventually return as the spice and saccharides gradually build. Carries a pervasive mustiness that I like to characterize as “oat” but clearly is young barley and has this creamy starch to it that’s hard to embrace. The floral character often roars like a dragon, then disappears. And every now and then you can catch a distinct vein of smoke, but it is impish and only shows itself every seventh sip. The plum liqueur finish definitely sets this apart and creates a reason for the palate to be intrigued, but tragically doesn’t seem to ever quite arrive at desirable. While this is drinkable, it isn’t really up my alley. I’m all for supporting American single malt but I think this bottling has been overbilled. It is serviceable and I’d have a pour on a whim, but I’m not sure why I’d ever purchase another bottle. There are more than enough established and composed single malt options around this price range that ultimately just provide a more enjoyable experience.