Tastes

At first blush this one seems a bit one-dimensional, but there is some complexity going on if you concentrate, including some savory herbal notes and just a hint of smoke (or maybe bourbon barrel char?). The body is great and it's super smooth, but I'd personally sacrifice a little of that refinement for complexity that requires less of a Herculean effort, so I would probably reach for Oban over this most of the time. Interestingly this is available at Trader Joe's and $15 cheaper than the next closest competitor at $50 here in Northern CA; for more than that I would not say it's a great value.

The nose comes on strong with peat and smoke, but after a couple of sips the full complexity unfolds--tart, full sweetness, a bit of medicinal/iodine, briny salty notes, and some solid wood notes from the bourbon casks. About as balanced as a single malt with this much peat can get, and at 10 years old it's a poster child for the argument that you needn't judge the maturity and complexity of a whisky based on age statement alone.