Visual: In the glass it is colored somewhere between a pilsner and a hefeweizen. A few good swirls create a few thin legs. Nose: If anyone ever questioned that scotch is distilled beer, this dram is proof. It is very malty/yeasty like a good craft ale with the intensity turned up to 11. There is also some spiciness almost like its whiskey counterparts this side of the pond – reminiscent of rye. After some rest, a few vegetal (carrot) and grassy notes waft in, along with caramel and oak notes. I also get the “cobblestones after the rain” quality that @Damon Williams notes. Palate: Honey sweet, followed by arrival of spicy rye-like notes. Brown sugar mid-palate. This dram has a lot of presence on the palate – it is much less subtle than many of its Speyside cousins. It’s not a bludgeon, but it’s not delicate, either. There’s a bitterness on swallowing that is not unlike the hoppiness of beer, but without the citrusy notes found in a highly-hopped IPA. Sorry for the repeated beer analogies, but for some reason this whisky seems to keep reminding me of it. Finish: The finish is medium long and warming, with the hoppy bitterness continuing for a while, along with some medium-roast coffee notes and lingering brown sugar. Exhalation through the nose results in some aromas that remind me of Rittenhouse Rye. All in all, I really like this one, and agree with @Revkev12 that it is a singular dram, although he picked up many notes I did not, and vice versa. I didn’t pick up as many fruity notes as others. However, for a Speyside, I thought it was exceptionally full and rich, with a lot of bourbon/rye qualities – as well as beer-like notes. I’ll certainly revisit this one. This is worth every bit of 85 points for a solid 4 stars. A hearty recommendation for those who want to try a Speyside that’s a little different than some others, or for bourbon/rye fans that are developing an appreciation for single malt scotch. Postscript: Given that scotch whisky is essentially distilled beer, it is amazing how few scotch reviews reference beer. This label screams “I am beer intensified,” IMHO.