Laphroaig 30 Year (43%)

Edit: the following review is for an older release at 43%ABV, purchased in 2008. In the Glass: Golden syrup. On the Nose: Big. Maritime Sherry with a backdrop of sweet smoke. You can tell that this is an older malt, as it smells exactly like what I would expect Laphroaig's maturation warehouse to be like: wood, smoke, Sherry and the sea. It's like finding your grandfather's old jacket where he kept pipe tobacco, years after he's last worn it. Taste: Echoes a lot of the nose , but the smoke is actually downplayed. The peat here is more bog than fireplace. Long development of flavors, with the Sherry notes taking the lead. Dried fruit. Dark brown sugar. The finish turns pleasantly bitter, which sets up the sweetness of the next sip quite nicely. It clings to your tongue, lasting minutes after the glass is empty. Exhaling through your nose after a sip reminds me of the dying embers of a campfire. This is totally Bowmore 15's older, classier brother. Absolutely brilliant stuff. I have a very hard time imagining a better whisky experience than this.