Dalmore 12 YO - Tasting Notes

Had a chance to come back to this Dalmore expression. Tasted it a good while ago, and now again in a blind tasting. Surprisingly my notes did not change much on it, and sadly also not my score on it.

Nose
Oily, fruits, cereal, sweet, caramel at first. The nose was sweet for sure with honey, vanilla, orange, grapefruit, a fresh and sweet vanilla nose. But a bit one top layer with not much beneath it? Rich vanilla though.

Palate
The palate gives me soap, bitter (earwax) and sharp citrus. After that fades away there is vanilla and honey sweetness. Becomes a bit better with some time, and showing more the fruit notes and vanilla/honey and balancing out the bitter/dry notes. Fruit, orange, marmalade, nuts, caramel, milk chocolate, summer fruit, spices.

Finish
Short, and bitter/dry, does not feel balanced. The feeling I get is a bit sour mash and after that some dry cocoa powder.

Score
Scored it an 5,5/10 first and now an 6/10 on the second try. With water it opens a bit more on the fruit tones, the nose is a bit hard to determine what is in there. The taste is a bit more filled with sweet and spicy notes, but ends a bit bitter and dry. Have the feeling of too much caramel, have the bitter and sweet mouth feel of it. Needs some time to open up and then it becomes a bit softer.