Nose: Malt extract, caramel, toffee, butterscotch and crème brûlée with an almost carbonised crust. Toasted cereal grains, an aroma reminiscent of cask-conditioned ale, squill candy, leather, machine oil and moist earth. Faint oak and smoke notes. It's hard to believe this is a blended scotch nose as it’s much more robust and demonstrative than most blends. Palate: A rich, slightly sweet and oaky arrival with smoky tones in the background. As it develops, a wave of peppery sweetness emerges with hints of brown sugar, orange oil and brine. There is also dark bittersweet chocolate, treacle toffee, liquorice, ale and espresso. Adding water develops sweeter notes and the texture is full and rich. Finish: Long. As all the spice dies down the pleasant rich brown sugar sweetness slowly fades away leaving just the forceful sherried oak that lies at the heart of this blend. What a great blended scotch. It really is hard to believe it's not a malt blend. It has a satisfying character and is reminiscent of a sherried Speyside malt. I'd wager there is a lot of Glenrothes in this. A dash of water does it no harm whatsoever, this is a blend that swims well and water just softens it. Recommended neat or with water (or even with ice and a splash of soda). I'd been putting this one off for a while but after tasting it this afternoon I took a stroll to my local liquor shop and picked up another bottle to save for the future. That should be all you need to know. Highly recommended, it's not cheap but it's worth every penny - great for sipping and a wonderful mixer. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)