Laphroaig Càirdeas 2018 Fino Cask Finish

Nose - it's actually nice and buttery, really nice savory elements with some vanilla and of course smoke. Taste - Complex, explosive, fruity, vanilla, man this has a lot going on. So i'm getting a bit of a muted vanilla, huge amounts of fruits both orchard and dark and then it just goes to 11 with peat and salt. There's a medicinal classic Laphroaig in the middle of this but otherwise it's all over the map with all kinds of cool tasting notes. This I like more than the 10 cask strength, a lot more. The fino barrels are giving this all kinds of awesomeness.

Strawberry up front Blends into spearmint Back of the throat smoke (heavy) Absence of mid-palette peat Long, sweet finish with prominent smoke and oaky barrel influence. Overall impression: warm, fruity, complex, satisfying. Top 5 drams, for me.

Like the 10 yr, less the entire medicine profile, and replace it with rich fresh plum. Maybe dried strawberries. Rich, complex, full bodied, velvety. I had this after other Islay single malts, the same night.