Nose: A crisp, malty biscuit/cereal nose with fruit notes (mainly apple and a little lemon), some vanilla and a hint of mint. It's not particularly deep but it is clean and has no faults. When first poured there is the faintest possible rubbery note, but it dissipates very quickly. Palate: The arrival is cereal led, and like the nose is predominantly cereal/malty in character. There are fruit notes and these amplify in the development, gaining sweetness. The texture is neutral and has a good balance between light sweetness and faint spice. Finish: Medium/short. The finish shows some richer, buttery notes and more rounded fruit characteristics than the initial palate, but does not last long. The aftertaste is slightly sweet with a touch of apple juice. John Crabbie & Co is a resurrected whisky company. The name was bought in 2007 by Halewood Wines & Spirits which also owns Whitley Neill gin. The company ran spirit from their pilot distillery at Chain Pier in Granton in late 2018 which was the first distillery to be built in the Edinburgh area for 93 years. A new much larger facility is currently under construction in Leith. The company has released a range of whiskies, but of course everything so far is sourced and the distilleries of origin are not revealed. As for this expression, which is named after John Crabbie's original premises at Yardheads in Leith, I'd wager it is from Speyside. There is something very familiar about the profile but I can't quite put my finger on it - maybe it's Glenfarclas but it could just as easily be from several other distilleries. There's nothing at all wrong with this - it's quite pleasant as a daily sipper or session whisky and it mixes very well. It compares favourably with Monkey Shoulder or Naked Grouse, or with any number of introductory malts, and at the asking price it is good value. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)