Natural gold color, not chill filtered, medium to high viscosity. Nose is complex, with fruit, black pepper, lemon zest, and smoke on the back. Palate is rich and round, with sweet notes of tropical fruit, vanilla, oak, leather, caramel, cereal, and sherry intermingled with pleasant and mild pit fire smoke. Finish is long, dominated by fruit, lemon zest, and vanilla, with a slight hint of smoke on the back. This is bottled at 46% ABV, and a teaspoon of water intensifies sweetness, adds banana notes, and somewhat changes the finish with more lemon zest lingering flavors. Overall, an excellent dram, just like it’s younger cousin the 10-year-old. I can’t say one is better than the other, but 15-year-old appears to have a little less smoke and bit more subtle complexity. Both are phenomenal whiskies.