Glenlivet's signature apple is prominent on the nose. In fact, it dominates. But I had a very hard time distinguishing this single malt from Glenfiddich 12 (tonight, my wife and I tried the "big three" side by side, so I was nosing these one after the other). Other than that, I get malt on the nose, and that's about it. The taste is sweet but there is some ineffable element in it that prevents me from loving it, and like Glenfiddich 12 it is quite watery. The finish has a little more honeyed sweetness and spiciness than Glenfiddich 12, so that's a slight plus in favor of this dram. I think of the big three, Glenmorangie Original won out for me.