My main experience with Dewars has been the White Label, which I find to be pretty rough. I think Johnnie Black is a decent drink, so when I was gifted this, I was looking forward to trying the Dewars equivalent, regardless of my impression of the White Label. Nose: Orange peel/citrus and vanilla. Lime, papaya, grapefruit, and honeydew add some more tropical notes. Toffee. Apple tart and nougat. Apricot and pear. Soapy note—and not in a bad way. Light white pepper and cinnamon spice, though it’s very subtle. Palate: More of the lime, orange, and honeydew. Some lemon now. Caramel and vanilla. Cranberry. A note akin to one of those party mix butterscotch and some orange candy. Coca, black and white pepper, and cinnamon. The grain is prominent, but well-balanced by the fruit notes. Finish: Grapefruit lime, Sun-dried tomato. Cocoa, clove, nutmeg, red pepper, and cinnamon. Short to moderate finish, as you’d expect of a 40% whisky. I’m pleasantly surprised with this one. The jump from Johnnie Red to Johnnie Black is pretty substantial, so I guess it’s not a shock that the same can be said of Dewars White Label and The Ancestor. Great nose, good palate, decent finish. At $25, VFM is obviously going to give a significant boost to already enjoyable whisky. 3.75/5. This erases my previous opinion of Dewars. I will definitely be checking out the higher age statement offerings in the future.