Laphroaig 18 Year

I had the privilege of trying a sample of this discontinued whiskey thanks to Davie Warner. I took my time to appreciate this, and actually nosed the bottle at random times for a few days before pouring out a dram. The peat has mellowed out a lot in the additional 8 years of aging, so do not expect the standard Laphroaig full-frontal assault. It's less bonfire, more Encyclopedia Britannica -- think a shelf of aged, leather-bound tomes. There's also a healthy dose of brine and seaspray. Underneath these classic Laphroaig signatures is a much sweeter and more succulent layer of cured, salted ham, neroli, and tangerine or orange. The fruit flavors creep forward over time and eventually outshine the peat, which fades into the background. The palate almost trembles with flavor on entry, and it's quite intensely fruity. After a flood of tangerines and mandarin oranges (I almost imagine a cocktail mixing Cointreau and Laphroaig in equal measures), there are also some hints of tropical fruit and toffee. The peat provides nice balance here, in combination with some oak backbone, but it's a subtle, toasted flavor, rather than a smoke. It's also, as Gordon Ramsay would say, perfectly seasoned (meaning a healthy pinch of salt). It finishes like an Aztec chocolate bar -- dark chocolate, chili pepper flecks, some orange peel, and salt on the lips. There is almost something sherried about it, a berry-like sweetness at the end. The finish stretches forever, and has a mouth-drying sensation similar to Highland Park 18, with some pepperiness as well. A superb scotch, for occasions when a more restrained peat is appropriate. The best comparison I can draw is that it's somewhere halfway between Highland Park 18 and Laphroaig 10.