Nose: Roasted nuts, autumn leaves, oranges, ginger fudge, peanut oil, brown sugar, oak shavings and a zephyr of rye spice. Palate: Spicy/sweet arrival with ginger, white pepper and toasted fruitcake. Oak tannin in the development with dates, dried figs, cinnamon and orange marmalade. The texture is not thin but it is both oily and dry. There is a briny quality to this whisky but you won’t notice it at first. Finish: Medium/long. Spicy dark fruit and lemon rind. Green capsicum grilled with rock salt in the aftertaste. A good whisky that presents well on the nose but not quite as well on the palate ... until you add water and then the whole thing turns on its head. The nose loses a little of its punch with dilution but the palate immediately gains complexity and it gets better the longer you leave it to develop. The beast is alive and well in this dram but he is all fuss and noise to start with. He’s a thirsty fellow too so give him a good drink of water and he becomes much more mellow. The expert review here is ... well, I don’t know what the reviewer was drinking that day but it sure wasn’t this whisky. The community aggregate rating is, however, right on the money. Speaking of money, at the price this is fair value - not great, but fair. The independent Gordon & Macphail Mortlach 15 is better and very consistent, but also more expensive. Oh, and give your rye-loving friend who says they do not like scotch whisky a pour of this. It may just change their mind. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)