Nose: A rubbery sherry note and some generic barley malt sugars. Pedestrian grain whisky and a little average malt, aged in mediocre multi-refill casks. Palate: The arrival starts off promisingly with hints of sweet cereal and mild fruitiness. However these expectations are dashed as the spirit almost immediately fractures into a confusion of hard, spirity, bitter flavours with an overtone of burnt wood and a thin texture. Finish: Thankfully short. A hot/bitter/sour tannic aftertaste. Inadequate for neat sipping and suitable only for drinking with a mixer over ice - and even with cola the hard bitter tannins still show through. This bottling replaced the old Family Reserve but apart from the livery it is exactly the same. Poor value and best avoided - there are several superior blended whiskies available at less cost. "Poor" : 62/100 (1 star)