My first foray into the world of scotch. I have heard good things about this one as a gateway for bourbon drinkers, so here it goes: Nose of orange peel, burnt leaves, apple crisp, and vanilla creme. On the palate getting orange marmalade, butterscotch, honeysuckle, and cocoa powder, but also an odd mineral/vitamin taste in the mid-palate. Finishes nicely with apple, bitter green oak, and milk chocolate. Finish is of short duration. Has a bit of an oak bite to it, leaving a little astringency once the flavors of the finish have fully dissipated. I didn’t hate this; it had some appealing elements. But it also took a long time for the bottle to open up as there were some serious burnt rubber notes in the first few drams that I would be remiss for not mentioning. And while it developed into something better with time, I don’t think I will be abandoning bourbon for scotch anytime soon.