Nose: Initial honeyed tones followed closely by earthy, farmyard aromas and wildflowers (calliopsis). A slightly sour fermented-hay note and cooking oil in the background. There is a nutty ale-like aroma as well. There's a lot going on here but it takes a while to open. Palate: The arrival is faintly spicy together with herbal honey - rather like spiced mead - and it has a tannic, woody character that expands in the development. Sour/bitter malt with a metallic astringincy reminiscent of quince or unripe persimmon. The texture is both lightly oily and slightly gripping. Finish: Medium. The flinty fruitiness of the palate fades into an unusual herbal flavour that is what I would imagine chewing dandelions would taste like. An unusual malt that I disliked at first, then eventually came to appreciate, but never really enjoyed. It is a confused and confusing dram. The nose is basically floral in character but not in any manner that is typically encountered. It's not honeyed nor freshly floral, not light nor heavy. It's more acrid herbal, like the aroma of crushed daisies and there is an agricultural quality. I hesitate to use the word "funk" as it has become so deplorably overused in the last year or so that it has become a cliché, but yes - there is a sense of that here. The palate was inferior to the nose, being sharper and lacking heft. It's not what I'd call a balanced malt. Adding water did nothing for the nose - it muted what character was there into insignificance. I thought it did improve the palate, however, by plastering over the less agreeable notes. This was a hard one to rate. It does have individuality and character but while it is not actually flawed I didn't think it was very pleasant. I tasted it from a 30ml commercial sample and I'm thankful I don't have to regret having bought a whole bottle. When I was last in Edinburgh I had an opportunity to visit the distillery but did not do so. I went to the Scottish National Gallery with Mrs Cascode instead. It was the right choice. "Average" : 75/100 (2.5 stars)