An amazing early Father's Day gift from my girls and my third Speyside (a small pour of Glenlivet 18, a 50ml of Glenlivet 12, and this one). Pours into my Glencairn a Pale Gold, so I assume no coloring added. Now for the tasting notes. NOSE: Very Nice. I get Crisp Apple and Pear, Honey, Lemon Peel, Buttercream Icing, faint Floral Notes, and Old Oak. There is a "shape shifting" note in the background that I can't quite place, but I really like it. Solid. NEAT: At first, this was a pretty one dimensional Vanilla Bomb, but the longer I sipped the more complex it became adding notes of Apple, Hot Cereal, a hint of Grassiness, and Oak. There are some Sherry Notes present, but their faintness leads me to believe that a majority of this stock is aged in Ex-Bourbon. The backend of the palate is a little astringent with notes of Oak and a good bit of Smokiness. There is no heat on the finish, but it does leave a Peppery, Tingly coating. SPLASH: Not much change in the nose, but it brings the vanilla back as the dominant note on the palate. VERDICT: Underperforms slightly based on the nose, but solid nonetheless. A definite step up from The Glenlivet 12. It's between a 3.75 and a 4 for me, but I'll round up. I will definitely enjoy this bottle.