James Eadie Blair Athol 10 (Cask No. 307362)

(First pour) Nose: Natural honey, hob-nobs. Feinty but not plastic. Richer. Bit of floral, herbal greenhouse. Maybe some lemon candy like MoM notes as it opens up. Bit of pear. Smells rich and honeyed but with a herbal edge. Palate: Oily, honey sticks around and some rich malt comes through. Caramel on the second taste with usual suspects on the oak front. Light smokiness but becomes more and more like toffee on both nose and palate. Can almost see the lychee note. Finish: Some round tropical fruit, soft caramel. With water: Nose ramped up, malty chocolate whey with that underlying herbal note. Straight up werther’s original. Really rich and sweet smelling with a slight balancing sharpness underneath. Palate more approachable, has more of the oak and spice, especially at the back. Finish has a bit of that clay-y earthiness from the flora and fauna, rich and lengthy again. Finish gets more leafy/irisy as it goes on. Overall: Not what I expected at all, but not a bad thing. So rich, tons of flavour that really opens up with water. Would make a great late summer/early autumn dram for the slight herbal edge that balances the honey out.