Nose: Sweet barley and honey. The slightest bit of salty smoke comes through. The nose is mellow but pleasant. Some peppery oak notes burn the nostrils slightly if I try too hard. ⠀ Taste: At first, this whisky seemed so "gentle" that I wasn't getting much out of it. I found it boring and it really needed some time on the tongue to open up. After sufficient time, tasting it sends a sudden mix of mellow sweet barley, earthy bitterness, and ever so slightly smoky notes to coat your palate. The mellow sweetness lingers and the earthy tang turns into a peppery, orangey zest. The pepper lasts well into the finish, but the sweet smoke note is actually what lasts the longest. ⠀ The mouthfeel is somewhat oily but the flavor is more semi-sweetness and earthy bitterness as opposed to the creamy rich sweetness you might expect from the texture. ⠀ I'm really not sure what to think of this whisky. It started out a bit boring and then quickly become a bit more intense than I expected from "The Gentle Spirit". I generally prefer either a sweet or a meaty and salty rich scotch, and this doesn't really deliver either of those. This has got some classic highland notes, sort of a more earthy bitter Glenmorangie 10, but I'm not sure how much I like it. I may have to rate this one again after further tastings.