Dewars is arguably one of the most widely known and best selling blended Scotch whiskies out there. As the name suggests, the individual whiskies (both single malts and single grains) in the blend here are all aged a minimum of 12 years; however the final mixed blend is then aged again around 6 months to marry the flavors together. Being admittedly still fairly new in the world of Scotch, what drew me to grab a bottle of this were the suggested predominant darker tasting notes of dark fruits and smoky (not a peaty smoke) chocolate milkshake, which just sounded delicious to me, but the modest price doesn't hurt much either. Will it live up to my expectations or end up as just another forgettable Scotch blend? Let's give it a go! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. On the nose I pick up honey, a nice mix of both fruity and floral bouquets and lastly and a hint of milk chocolate with a peppery spice. At times the frutiness comes across as sweet apple turnovers drizzled in caramel with a side of vanilla cream, yet with subsequent smells I pick up some orange citrus. A light smokiness in the malt, but nothing resembling peat smoke, is detected on the nose. All in all, quite a nice start inviting me for a taste. On the palate, the initial feel is buttery yet on the thinner side with a strong surge of honey coming forward first with buttery toast. The sip is neither sweet or tart, but right up the middle. Next up I get a wonderfully dark palate of milk and dark chocolate cake with light vanilla frosting, dark cherries and raisin, all mixed together with a nice smokiness and light spice here that I really really like. It's not what I'd consider a peaty kind of smokiness, but a darker charred kind of smoke that honestly plays very well against the darker chocolate and fruit flavors. And these darker flavors were exactly what drew me in to buy a bottle. While the nose is layered and airy if a little light, the palate is dark and rich with a great smoothness and full flavor profile. Honestly for a $30 blend, the Dewar's 12 is delicious! I have no complaints on flavor for the price paid! The finish is pretty short, unfortunately, and leaves toasted cereal with a lingering smoke way off in the distance, calling you to refresh those nice palate flavors. A short but flavorful kick of spice and pepper finish off the taste. Wish the flavor notes lingered a bit longer, but another sip always remedies the issue. Overall, I must say, for a 12 year blended Scotch at the more than reasonable $30 price point, I really like this blend. I greatly enjoyed the darker notes here, particularly the chocolate and char smoke dancing together. At this price for a Scotch, most folks would likely be looking at either Dewar's 12, JW Black, or even the well respected Monkey Shoulder. I really enjoyed the MS for its flavors, but it's flavor profile is entirely different, much lighter, malty, and more fruity citrus, no darker flavors, no char or peat smoke to speak of. The JWB is slightly less complex or rich but has more of a light peaty smoke profile in comparison to the more char and chocolaty smokiness of the Dewar's. While I look forward to continuing my Scotch and whiskey journey, I think this Dewar's will always occupy a space on the shelf for a tasty budget blend! Cheers!