Nose: Yellow grapefruit zest, wet cardboard, sawdust, white pepper. Rather aggressively spirity. There are red wine notes in the background but it takes a while for them to emerge. [The dry glass aroma is of wine gums and faint sweaty smoke]. Palate: A sweet and fruity arrival that morphs into a dry, almost astringent, winey development. A fierce blast of pepper and chilli with a papery taste. Good texture. Finish: Medium. Spicy, fading into a bittersweet chocolate aftertaste. This is very young whisky, I'd wager. It does not have complexity and it benefits greatly from the addition of water and some time to recompose. Once it has recovered it loses the flat cardboard note, blossoms, and a sweeter floral wine aroma emerges. The alcohol presence is tamed and the red wine cask character shows through more clearly. The palate also develops some sweetness that neutralizes the otherwise forcefully dry character. Overall, water brings balance to this whisky, and is highly recommended. On the whole I thought this whisky was more interesting than engaging, and it is a bit overpriced. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)