The nose on this blend is subtle but confident and complex. It will greet you with soft spices and vanilla, but let it breathe a little and the fruitiness shows up. Grapes and plums take over, and just when you think your done and about to sip it evolves again with the dried grass from the meadow. The palate is rich and oily, giving you the peppery spices you would expect from this expression, then rolls into woody oak notes, which then transition into rye reminiscent anise flavors. The finish is medium long, and after the anise tapers off the barrel comes back for an encore. There is a little warmth from the 92 proof as well. This is an interesting scotch.. the nose and initial/mid palate scream Scotland, but the back of the palate and finish are American Rye.