Nose: (neat) Beautiful oak - supple, voluptuous and intense. Toasted muesli bar, dark fruits, blood orange peel, cinnamon, oloroso sherry and a bat-squeak of peat that doesn’t quite get to the front of the stage. Nose: (watered) It becomes more rounded and subdued with water and a little time, but don’t add too much as you can easily overdo it (surprisingly). Longer term it develops menthol and peppermint notes over a floor of herbal honey. Palate: (neat) Sweet for a moment then it blasts with a peppery hit that is spiced with green peppers and gherkins. Dried figs and dates in the development, with maraschino cherries and just a drop of mezcal (!). Bitter coffee, bitter chocolate, sulphurous treacle. The texture is greasy but the spice is so intense it overtakes the texture. Leather, dry sherry and a solid foundation of smoke. Palate: (watered) A whole new ball game. Soft, sweet and supple but balanced by the forceful oak and spices that are now properly integrated. Honey is more prominent, or at least not obscured, and the whisky is joiking instead of yelling. The smoke is clearer now and more fragrant, and the mixed fruit more composed. The texture is rich, creamier and much more rounded – without a doubt this whisky benefits from water. Finish: Medium. Oaky, spicy, sour and a touch bitter (old walnuts). Oak and spice in the aftertaste with just a hint of honey. With water the finish is more gradual, mild and elegant. I took the advice of @DrRHCMadden (who generously provided this tasting sample) and let the dram sit for a while, nosing it cautiously all the while. About 20 minutes in, and with frequent rolling in the glass, it seemed to change and lose its initial rambunctiousness. It’s about this point where I started taking notes. After a taste, which was frankly too prickly for my liking, I added a half teaspoon of water and let it sit for another 20 minutes. This is when it started to blossom. IMHO this should have been released at 46%, not 56.5%. Some cask strength whiskies carry the abv easily and you hardly notice it but then there are those like this one that hit like … well, like a hammer 😄 It’s all down to the force of the European casks in the maturation (the oak is strong with this one, padawan). It’s borderline too intense for enjoyment initially, and to be honest I hated it at first, but time and a dash of water improve it out of sight, and by the time I was finishing the dram I wished I had more. Neat I’d only rate this about 3.5, but with water it is a no-brainer 4-star whisky … maybe even 4.25 .. but I would not pay the asking price for a bottle. Add just a few bucks and you can get the 18 year old which is hands-down better. Tasted from a 30 ml sample. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars [when watered])