Laphroaig 16 Year

Unmistakable Laphroaig nose, earthy, sweet, smoky wood steeped in a fair amount of alcohol. Sweet vanilla mingles with sea air, soft peat smoke, spicy oak, and a dab of dark honey over a base of kiln dried barley. Spicy on the tongue, with a sharp note of cracked pepper and some cinnamon to start. Then follows a briny bittersweet sea of flavors akin to the nose but more aggressive. Full bodied, with slow legs that drip fairly evenly down the glass. The finish is woody, sooty, and retains just a hint of sweetness amidst the grassy asphalt and highly tannic barrel notes. The empty glass emits vapors of toasted marshmallows with a hint of tobacco. Nose: 10 Palate: 9 Body: 9 Finish: 8

2nd new addition to the Laphroaig collection - immediately I get a lot of caramel, vanilla, apple on the nose, with a little iodine that dissipates with air. The palate has some caramel, custard, moss, kippers, smoke. Pretty solid offering, think I slightly prefer it to Lore - the use of first-fill bourbon barrels has an obvious impact.