Nose: Very floral. I think I get roses and honeysuckle. Perhaps apple blossom as well. Very faint fruit or berries. Palate: Honey first and foremost, with a hint of the flowery notes mixed in. Also a sweet, toasted bready note almost reminds me of homemade waffles. The grain and malt whiskies in this blend are very well balanced, there’s no “malt funk” but also no real metallic sharpness. A surprisingly strong oaky note comes in later which is less towards the vanilla side and more toward the tannic side Finish: This is where the maltiness showed up for me, as well as some spiciness, and more of the oaky tannin. My least favorite part of this whisky. This was my first Japanese whisky and I was very surprised. Based on the color alone I was expecting something much more mellow and subtle. It’s not weak or thin, it can hold its own with most blended scotch or Irish whiskies.