Nose: Initially the nose is reserved and tight, but time and a drop of water helps it along. Eventually it presents green apple, marmalade and lemon over a cereal background and after a long rest some sweet floral aromas show up. I thought the nose was the best part of the experience. Palate: The arrival is momentarily sweet and fruity but this is quickly followed by a cascade of forceful hot spices (ginger, clove, white pepper). Fruit, oatmeal and malt lurk in the shadows. When tasted neat it is a little too much but with water the intensity dials down to a pleasant buzz. The texture is good. Finish: Medium/Long. The spicy notes from the palate linger together with vanilla sponge cake. This is an acceptable blended malt that does the job but is not particularly outstanding. The profile certainly has some “highland” elements, particularly the nose, and with a dash of water it louches very pleasingly so the malts in here are nicely au natural. It benefits from reduction and a good rest in the glass but it never really captured me. If the palate had been a little less aggressively spicy I would be rating this a lot higher. I bought this bottle in 2020 and when I opened it the cork was not making a very good seal so initially I wondered if it had degraded over time, but having now read many reviews I think what I have is a pretty typical specimen. It’s OK for slow sipping but I think the contents of my bottle are destined to encounter a lot of dry ginger ale. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)