My first taste was disappointing. This was the first time I did not enjoy a peaty scotch. My second taste was slightly redeeming. The unique earthy-peat taste that I get from this bottle is interesting. Other notes I identified are salt, vanilla, and overwhelming dark chocolate. Overall this rich and tasty scotch is in my opinion “okay” 2/5. PS: Save your money and get the 12 year. It’s better.