Honestly not sure why I bought this. Likely impulse related before tariffs hit the US. Color: pale golden. Legs: plentiful and slow. Nose: stewed apples, caramel and malt that reminds me a bit of Pilsner. No detectable ethanol, wood or nuts. Body: medium, slowly coats the roof of the mouth and leads into a medium finish. No bite, only a slow and gentle warmth. There is a noticeable tingle on the hes plate and tongue. Palate: up front there is vanilla, almost more blended grain sweetness than honey malt, milk chocolate and faint floral/herbal tidbits with a bit of oak that turns again to have some green apple sweetness with slight astringency and puff of smoke in the finish. This is a bit more complex than I expected but there’s nothing standing out. Solid single malt. It’s a bit like monkey shoulder in that it’s basic but well rounded and not offensive in any way. Oh wait, this is likely sourced from William Grant and Sons who make Monkey shoulder (blended) as well as owning Balvenie and Glenfiddich. This is not like either of the latter, so maybe a single malt version, NCF and proofed up version of Monkey Shoulder. That’s exactly what this is. The more I sip the more I like it. It brings me comfort in a rainy October afternoon. The slightly higher proof, slight mouth coating and medium to long finish make this a solid pour. Good intro Speyside single malt without the fuss of a secondary barrel finish. A good pour for someone into corn-sweet bourbon but likely to disappoint serious single malt fans.