I've had quite a few Balblairs and found they were all solid if unspectacular. This dram is definitely a step above those though. Perfect balance, beautiful vanilla and as @Scott_E noted tea notes (thanks Scott I'm generally crap at putting a name to any unique flavours I taste). Mild spice and apricots, creme brulee, sultanas, gingerbread. Numm, numm. It's impressive as this isn't a style that usually makes an impact. Maybe its because of poor effort in the form of comparison the Glencadam 25 I had before it but I agree with Scott E on rating as well. 4 at least out of the gate. No make it a 4.25...it gets better and better as the dram progresses. Finally an excellent Balblair!