I started drinking Dewar's White Label sometime in the early 80's and it was my regular drink for many, many years. By the early 90's I'd been pulled into single malts and I've enjoyed many dozens and dozens of that style since. But Dewar's has always been in my rotation and has become something of my airline/airport/business restaurant dinner kind of whiskey when I'm faced with a limited selection (or if I just want the comfort of something that's a known entity). I had Ancestor when it first hit the market (I think - early 90s) but I dont recall if I liked it or just wasn't impressed enough to buy any after the first couple bottles. Again, I was on my way into single malts so its entirely possible that I just didn't buy it because its a blend. Here we are today. I'm revisiting a lot of my old friend brands and tasting anew some of those I haven't had in years and years. This taste of Ancestor is from a new bottle. Tasted neat in a glencairn and allowed to rest about 5 minutes before beginning the evaluation. The pour is a vibrant brass. The nose offers up a pallete of warm vanilla, toffee, butterscotch and orchard fruits. The signature touch of smoke is there, but unlike the White Label, that astringent ethanol and acetone note of yound, mass produced whisky is conspicuous by its absense. Dewar's White Label might be the best selling scotch in the US, but this is a better tasting version of it! In terms of flavor, this ticks a lot of positive boxes. First is that this is completely approachable, relaxed and easy to like. At the $25 sale price I scored this bottle for, that's a hell of an achievment. This is competitive with my now-regular JW Black, but it's definitely better in nearly every way by small increments. Nothing about this dram is dramatic or sensational. It's the low rider of scotch whiskey, going slow and not using much gas, but still holding onto a unique and entertaining personality. This is a solid blend that needs to make absolutely no excuses. At its MSRP of $29, this is very competitive with Monkey Shoulder! I might even like it better, but I'll wait until I can do a SBS to say that definitively. Great value, easy drinking, sweet and soft, complex enough and lacking in any obvious defects. My scale holds that a mass market drink should hit the peak of the bell curve at 2.5 points. Most compentent whiskies will fall between 2 and 3, with a range of 3 to 4 putting the liquor ahead of the pack. That's where this belongs. Recommended.