Nose: Floral perfume, musk, vanilla, jasmine, honeysuckle, caramel. Adding water does not greatly change the nose. Palate: Soft but a little hot (ginger, chilli) on the arrival. Barley sugar, barley grist, sour fruit candy. Water greatly enlarges the sweetness, producing a butterscotch note and deepening the texture to an oilier, heavier style. Finish: Short. Fruit, particularly grassy lemon, fading to a bittersweet aftertaste. Water refines and sweetens the finish. This is a young, well-crafted malt that does not try to be an over-achiever, which is very welcome. It has an attractive floral/sweet and grassy lowland character that is not unlike that of Bruichladdich Classic Laddie (a quality that is almost certainly coming from the red wine barrel contribution). On the negative side it’s a little un-coordinated right now and will benefit greatly from longer maturation. If the distillery can resist the urge to mess up their very pleasant new-make spirit with fancy finishes and just let it rest quietly for a few years more this could become a really nice single malt. I liked it but was not inclined to buy a bottle until I tasted it with a dash of water, which improved every aspect of the dram. Initially I was going to rate it at 78/100 but after tasting how much it develops with dilution I’m increasing the score to 80. I look forward to trying more Lindores whiskies in the future. Tasted from a distillery sample. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)