Lots of apple and honey and more noticeable smoke on the nose than the 12yr version. The cereal is also very noticeable, with the slightly dark floral notes and a hint of toffee. The sherry influence is fairly subtle with only slight fruit notes coming through the honey and smoke. All in all, the nose is fairly short. Just like the 12, the smoke is much more prominent than the nose would suggest. The sweetness is less present as well, with the smoke being slightly charred and salty. There is a slight seaweed quality to the middle of the palate, which is replaced by some earthy notes that flirt with being fruity. I have seen mushrooms listed as a tasting note, and I could see this middle note being what I'm finding there. There is an interesting minty quality behind the earthiness that keeps the palate from being too salty or too dark, while still keeping some of the fruity elements. The smoke turns slightly ashy but more peppery and less dry than the 12yr. The finish is not particularly long and ultimately is slightly minty with a fair amount of cereal. Just like the 12, it leaves me feeling like I smoked a cigar an hour ago, albeit with less of a mouth-watering quality to it. I actually prefer the 12yr in the end, although this is by no means a dissatisfying experience.