The Original Islay Rum (Peat Spiced)

I don't spend a lot of time with rum, so I'm likely to do this a disservice, but I have the bottle, it's from Scotland, and it's interesting, so here goes. Body is surprisingly viscous in the glass for 40% ABV, and a twirl leaves a nice coating that cascades back to stasis in around a minute with a few tendrils lingering for several minutes longer. Nose is an old sweets shop, with anise starting and dominating the overall experience. Dig a little deeper and there are cinnamon and horehound hard candies and the anise turns into sweet Good & Plenty pastel licorice. Palate is thicker than expected given the (presumed) lack of aging and the low ABV, and has only the slightest bit of heat. And it is sweet. Almost liqueur sweet. The anise from the nose is now sweetened into black licorice, and runs between flavors of sharp, spicy fennel seeds, ginger root, and Angostura bitters. Think Benedictine, but half as sweet, half as viscous, and add more licorice. The close is a big dollop of blackstrap molasses that starts almost smoky but abruptly turns ashy, tannic and unpleasantly bitter. I don't know what all they use (marketing blurb says orange, ginger, cacao nibs and secret spices smoked over Islay peat), but it is nothing if not spicy. Almost discordantly so. You'll never confuse this for Pilar sherry cask or Appleton Estate 18, and I am most certainly kidding myself by sipping this neat from a Glencairn. That said, as a spiced rum, it will do all the things you want it to do, and will have just a little extra pizzaz in the process. Because Islay!