The nose starts with a mix of light florals, powdered sugar dusted caramel with a milk cream center and dusty oak then milk chocolate peanut clusters followed by orange blossom, red grapes and Apple Jacks cereal that transitions to fresh spearmint leaf, leather and black tea leaves with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a mix of light florals, peanut brittle and dusty oak then a moderate bitterness overpowers the flavors that slowly fades to a mocha followed by orange zest, red grapes and sour apple candy that transitions to fresh spearmint leaf, leather and bitter black tea with light ethanol burn. The finish is short that starts fruity then quickly begins to turn to a bitter black tea that dominates and climbs a staircase of bitterness until it finally fades away. This whiskey seems very familiar to a few stories I heard from some poor fools in the military. The story always began with the fool deciding to look for love in the worst possible location of a strip club. Alas, the stripper, who we shall call Harper, was very pretty and all too willing to play a love interest of the fool. Over a short time frame, Harper would get the poor fool so love struck that before the 12 month deployment a power of attorney over the fool’s finances would be signed. Over the course of the deployment, the fool wouldn’t get nearly the same loving emotional treatment as expected in the form of mail or email, but was sure that love would win the day upon returning. At the end of the long deployment, the fool who expected a loving embrace from Harper was unfortunately let down with no sight of Harper and later found that not only was Harper gone, but so was all the cash in the poor fool’s bank account. This whiskey is very much the same with its beautiful decanter and 15 year age statement that draws you in for a pour with a great start of sweets, florals, citrus and spices that fails to deliver the same experience on the taste and finishes with a bitter end. Don’t be a fool and fall for Harper’s beauty and instead take a modest looking Dickel 15 or fancier Resilient to get a 15 year old that’s not all looks and won’t leave you with a cash grab and bitter ending.