Laphroaig 15 Year 200th Anniversary

Mellow combination of sweet peat, olive brine, and pipe tobacco on the nose. Sweet taste of pears makes its way into the palate, only to be counterbalanced with campfire smoke and sea salt. The finish is smooth and gently spiced. Really hard to keep my hands off this stuff!

My favorite scotch, alongside Talisker 10. This one opens with a beautiful char, almost like searing a filet, and yet layers in dark berry notes quickly. There is a perfect call and response between the smoke and peat, on the one hand, and moderate sweetness, on the other. Pepper arrives first on the palate, then smoke curls in from around the edges of the mouth. There are hints of saltiness, but the longer it mingles in the mouth, the more caramel and honey emerge. The finish is the highlight here, impossibly long (new flavors emerging even minutes later) and complex, with hickory smoke and a flowering of 60+% dark chocolate.

Truly spectacular. Grapefruit and citrus on the nose. Add some water and it becomes sublime. A fantastic addition for Islay lovers

Fantastic and unusual, accomplished but not without its flaws. The nose is pleasant with aromas of peat, smoke, salt, and what appears to be lemons - it's both subtle and complex at the same time. The palate and body is rich and full, a continuation of the nose's aromatic notes. It all works wonderfully together towards a finish that has depth and length. I really enjoy it.