Nose: Fragrant cereal and tropical fruit lead the profile - mango, guava, and peaches with toffee in the foundation. As it rests the oak cask becomes apparent and lends a fresh aromatic incense note. That's just the overture, and it keeps unfolding as it relaxes in the glass. Pineapple, mandarin and grilled banana, red berries, rose petals, hibiscus and warm spices (nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon). This is an adorable nose. Palate: A cosy blanket of cereal flavours with just the right touch of sweetness. Easy to drink and almost absurdly soft on the palate. Dried fruit and vanilla, sweet orchard fruits and a tiny note of gentle spice (nutmeg, sweet mild cinnamon and cloves). The texture is very good with that diaphanous silken quality you get when it is perfectly poised on the cusp of creaminess, but is neither oily nor dense. Finish: Medium. It just floats away into the distance with a dash of licorice as an afterthought. The outstanding characteristics of the nose are how it combines depth and fragrance with freshness, and how it leads you deftly into the palate, and I love how the all-bourbon cask maturation has developed the nose. The palate is so soft that on first taste it will disappear and segue straight into the finish before you know it, leaving only a long cereal aftertaste to mark its passing. It's only on subsequent tastes that you really notice the development, it's that subtle, and the progression is so seamless the entry appears to merge directly into the finish. Marvelous whiskey, and worth every cent. The Very Rare is a batch release and the batches vary (more than you would think). I've had half a dozen over the years but this is one of the best I've tasted. The only thing I could criticize is that it is almost too soft and accommodating. If the profile could be kept intact but dialed-up just a notch in intensity it would be perfect. Bottling it at 43% or 46% would also be very welcome but I think sometimes it gets unwarranted criticism for the low proof. 40% does just work sometimes, and this is an example. This is, however, a fragile and gentle whiskey that is balanced at that 40% point so although I usually prefer to water my whiskey in this case I'd strongly recommend against it. Tasted from a 30ml sample. " Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)