The nose is fully of sticky, sweet sherry, peat smoke with caramel, toffee, and coffee. There is a bit of roasted honeycrisp apple underneath. After it sat out a bit, the nose became full of Werther's originals, and then the caramel turned milky sweet, reminiscent of tres leches. The palate is thick and oily with sweet peat smoke and plenty of barrel notes, particularly oak, alongside the caramel from the nose which comes through in a darker, burned sugar kind of way. Toasted barley and brine beats back the sweetness for a moment. Bandaid shows up before the sweet peat smoke comes back, bringing a faint tobacco and oak along. The longer you sit with it, the more it steers back to a leathery, apple honey taste. A couple of drops of water rounds all of the edges off. This dram is dark and brooding with just enough brightness to keep from being too much. I tried this side by side with the An Oa and found this to be the more challenging, complex drink that rewards careful sipping while the An Oa is an easier drinking, brighter expression that tastes like an Islay for Speyside drinkers.