Grangestone Islay Blended Malt

So I learned three lessons with this whisky. First, don't put much stock in what a sales clerk recommends. Apparently, the staff at a major discount liquor store has been instructed to push particular brands, and that takes precedence over anything that they might know otherwise. I should have known better (I do now for sure). I can't even claim that it was a pretty face that temporarily clouded my judgement. Second - don't get taken in by the packaging and appearance (duh!). The cardboard container and the bottle label look very classy with embossed copper-colored lettering, the bottle is solid, no-nonsense, and the whisky is dark and rich-looking. Compared to a Lagavulin label, this one would look so much better on your shelf. So, the nose is just what you would expect given the blend's Islay origin. Peat, pure and simple. And that is exactly what you get in tasting it. But that is ALL that you get. I really could not pick up anything else, barrel notes, brine, nothing that could balance out the peat. This is a one dimensional whisky. Thankfully the finish was short because peat by itself is not very pleasant. And the third lesson - mixing in good whiskey with a poor whiskey doesn't necessarily improve it; it will likely just drag down the god whisky. I really don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of this bottle.