I have a soft spot for this blended malt.  I was given a bottle as a birthday gift many years before I become really interested in whisky by a colleague who has since passed away.  It turns out that this whisky will also "pass on" soon as it has been annnounced that this line will be discontinued.  Can I suggest they keep this get rid of Black? This nose has raisins, apples and spice, like a baked apple desert.  The taste is sweet caramel, rich and spicy and more than a hint of smoke.  The finish has a drying oakiness and then a quick hit of caramel again right at the end.  Very good and a clear step up from Red and Black in terms of complexity and balance.  I tend to like blended malts (Monkey Shoulder, Sheep Dip, Nikka All Malt) and I like this one.