The Outcomes
Complexity & Finish
Complexity is how many distinct things are happening at once — simple to layered. Finish is how long they last once you've swallowed — short to long. The two nearly always move together, so Aurenloch treats them as one outcome.
Simple & Short
Complex & Very Long
I
Simple & Short
One or two notes that fade quickly once swallowed.
II
Straightforward
A clean, brief finish with a little more presence than the simplest spirits.
III
Balanced & Medium
A comfortable finish length with a couple of flavours changing as it fades.
IV
Layered & Long
Multiple flavours evolve over an extended finish.
V
Complex & Very Long
A shifting, evolving finish that lasts well after the spirit is gone.
A wider range of raw material, a more precise cut, longer maturation and considered blending all tend to build both complexity and finish together.