Nose: Fresh and brisk, leather, light fruit, thin honey, some sherry and a touch of vanilla with an earthy weight. Some red berries and a hint of sandalwood. Overall it's a cereal-driven nose but there is an unwelcome spirity quality and you can't escape the feeling that it is thin and weak. Palate: Smooth, sweet arrival. Malty and cereal and some soft warm spices. Stewed fruits, but very mild, with vanilla. The texture is agreeably silky but not creamy or oily - in fact like the nose it's rather on the thin side. A little bit of oak spice peeks through, but it's very shy, and there is a touch of a metallic quality. Finish: Short. Sweet and a little fruity (thin orange marmalade?), but again rather ethanol/watery in the finale. This may be the Beast of Dufftown, but in this expression the monster has been whipped into submission and chained in its cage. This whisky is neither rare nor old. The nose has some good features but is marred by an ethanol quality that gives it a character more like that of a blended scotch than a single malt and it seems insipid. Thankfully, this mostly blows off after some time resting in the glass, and the addition of a couple of drops of water transmutes it further into a fragrant note, almost like eau de cologne. The palate is acceptable but too light and it lacks heft. You would never guess that it is 43.4% abv as it seems more like 37%. Once again, the addition of a dash of water brings improvement, as more spiciness (almost bitterness) comes out and the palate broadens. However it never gains that familiar Mortlach meatiness. In this expression it's more like shaved ham than hunter's stew. This whisky confirms my opinion that Mortlach is best in independent bottlings. Ignore this one and instead buy the Gordon & MacPhail 15 year or the lovely Maltman 22 year. This is not bad whisky but it seems thin and weak throughout, and knowing what this distillery can achieve it's a disappointment. It's better than merely average, but only just barely. As it's only a 500ml bottle this is also expensive and in my opinion way overpriced for what it is. Diageo are conning us with this release. "Above Average (just barely)" : 80/100 (3 stars)