Scotland, September 2017. Whisky #1, distillery tasting. Nose: Barley sugar, fresh baked white bread rolls, and a crisp oak presence are the outstanding characteristics. Light and sweet fruity notes of apple, pear, peach and apricot. Palate: The arrival follows the nose quite closely, orchard fruit and cereal flavours. The development is limited to with grassy herbal notes emerging together with a creamier, oaty cereal flavour. The texture is OK. Finish: Short. Grassy sweet but with a mild sour tang, like a herbal tea. "Pleasant" is the best word to describe this whisky. There's nothing at all bad about it and plenty to enjoy, but on the other hand nothing about it is particularly impressive. It would be a good session whisky. The house character of Glengoyne is fruity sweet, but not as thickly layered as, say, Glen Moray. There is an elegant first-fill sherry strength in the older expressions, but not here. The 12 year old is much more about the influence of Heaven Hill bourbon casks. It's a good whisky at a reasonable price point and hard not to recommend, particularly for a novice who wants to try something slightly different to the "usual suspect" Speysiders. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)