Review #29 - Whisk(e)y #20 Colour - Deep copper Nose - Quite strong aromas, honey, vanilla, some oak spice, sweet, fresh fruit (red and yellow apples), oily and with some alcohol. Taste - Spicy with an underlying sweetness up front, grainy, oily on the backend with some malt and a touch of smoke. The spiciness is quite sharp yet rather short, and there are also fruit notes, as on the nose. Finish - Medium, dry and leathery, oaky, maybe with a touch of cocoa to it and a strong bitterness. I find the bitter note way too overpowering and taking away from the sweet and spicy taste. Adding a few drops of water brings out a different finish, with less bitterness (although it is still more subtly there) and brings out some dark fruit (figs) and raisins. Furthermore, it also brings out some more sweetness on the front end which is very pleasant. Compared to Chivas 12, the Dewar's 12 feels darker, with no herbal / green note, but also more bitter. I think drinking it with a few drops of water really makes it so much better and more pleasant, at least for my palate, also bring more of those sherry notes. On ice all the flavours are diminished and it brings forth a graininess and maltiness. Rating System: 5.0 - Legendary 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB