Nose: Warm, full-bodied, toffee-laced smoke. A definite sherry backdrop with brine, seaweed and flinty minerals that is evocative of the seashore. [The dry glass aroma is like the smell of a fireplace where cherry-wood has been burnt]. Palate: Sweet-smoke arrival that is very mild and agreeable. It blooms quickly into a full smoky development with a touch of iodine and wine sweetness, but then everything seems to fade away and it quickly tails off into the finish. Finish: Short. Smoky and slightly briny and dry, but there is a lingering smoky barbecue taste. Friendly and extremely easy to drink - you could make a case for recommending this to beginners as a first smoky whisky because it's very well balanced and approachable. The downside is that it is incredibly "fast". The nose promises a lot and the arrival seems about to deliver on the promise, but after a remarkably brief burst of flavour it collapses in on itself and disappears into the ether. The texture is also rather thin and watery. This could have been released as a much fuller and more robust dram - at cask strength it would have been like a sherried Tempest, and a truly impressive "black rock" - but to give it its due, it is a very pleasant dram and would be the perfect gift for someone who likes smoky whiskies but finds most of them to be too intense. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)