I remember liking this stuff more a few years back, but that was the start of my journey with Scotch as one of the only ones I was willing to spend the extra 20+ dollars on based on brand name and knowing I liked red lable. What once tasted deep and rich, now tastes grainy and overly sweet. Not much better than bottom shelf. Has the blend changed or has my palate changed? I'm going to assume it has more to do with the higher end scotches I've had over the last few years. Although I am suspicious that bottom shelve whiskies are being intentionally degraded as causal drinkers won't notice and the sippers will pay up as a result, this one is still not bad. Just not as good as I remember it.