When I first opened and tried this dram I was a little disappointed. It had a pleasant honey-malt-ripe pear nose. It tasted of those as well, and a little heat on the finish followed by an unpleasant bitterness. Overall it was a little thin in the mouth, compared to nearly any single malt Scotch. I guess I should have expected that. The famous Irish triple distillation "for smoothness" will remove most of the fatty amino acids, etc. that will give body and additional flavor notes to the malt. (Charcoal mellowing in Tennessee whiskey does the same thing.) HOWEVER, after allowing the whisky to breathe in the glass several minutes, or the once opened bottle to rest a few days the dram became a much more pleasant experience. A sweet honey note to the malt was much more distinct now and the bitter note on the finish is gone. This is quite similar to a malty Scotch with no peat or sherry, although thinner in the mouth than most Scotchs.