Second taste edit: Smoke hits me right away, which I didn’t taste before. It’s not as smooth as I remember either. Not bad by any means, still way better than the majority of drinkers say, but I have to bump it down to 4.0. It’s more nuanced and interesting than the Bacalta that I’m drinking at the same time, but it doesn’t hold up to the Quinta. Wow, this is surprisingly up there with the Quinta for me. Where the Quinta Ruban is bolder, with darker fruits taking center stage (blackberry, black currant, plum), this scotch is full of a little bit lighter fruits (raspberry, blueberry, strawberry). It’s as smooth, if not smoother than the Quinta. It has a slight bitterness that I've found to be characteristic of sherried scotches that detracts from the experience slightly. After hearing bad to average reviews, I didn’t expect much. It’s much better than advertised.