This bottle from lot LKZR8257 Nose: Citrus, apple, grist. There is a light hint of oak and vanilla but it’s a shy, petite nose and adding water kills it stone dead. Palate: An exceptionally soft arrival with brown sugar, vanilla, light fruit and sweet malt. This is followed by a mild development that introduces delicate tropical fruit, bananas and a little coconut. The texture is light but satisfying. Unlike the nose, a drop of water blooms the palate very nicely, bringing out more sweetness and improving the mouth-feel. Finish: Medium/short. Fruit and dark sugar. The rum casks finally make an entrance just before the curtain falls. Instantly identifiable as young Glenlivet distillate, and it’s pleasing that the distillery character is so forward and not cask dominated. The rum influence is very restrained on both the nose and palate, but it’s not missing, just sitting quietly in the background and the more you sip this the more you notice it. The casks become most apparent in the finish. It’s a very pleasant NAS, exceptionally easy to drink (particularly with a dash of water) and it would be admirably suitable as a session whisky shared with friends on a warm summer’s day. It also teams very well with soda water, dry ginger or Coke and you can throw an ice cube in on a hot day without feeling like you are spoiling anything. I’m rating it on the high side of average, but I somehow feel mean for not giving it 3 stars, like I’m beating a puppy. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)