Neat: Nose: Very shy on the initial nose. There is a hint of barley and vanilla but that's basically it. Palate: Big arrival with then toasted barley that takes you on a journey with some salt, big honey notes and certain sour notes. The finish is long, very pleasant and has an oaky butter quality to it. With water: Nose: The whisky opens up with a splash if water. Some floral and herbal notes appear together with a little caramel smell. Palate: The taste stays very much in tact but gains in volume and punch. There is just a little smokiness coming through the mid palate and a dryness usually associated with peated whiskys. If you add more water the whiskys loses some of its complexity, gets sweeter but also more alcoholic. In summary it gets younger the more water you add. In summary: Its a well matured bourbon CS whisky. It tolerates quite some water but probably has its sweet spot around 50% ABV where both nose and palate are interesting. I miss the bold honey notes from previous expressions but still nice to play with. (82/100) The price is a little bit too high. I prefer the Loch Lomond 17 much more.