Appearance: The bottle is a beautiful dark emerald green with a black label and white lettering. A fine-looking bottle on anyone's shelf. The whisky itself is actually on the more pale side. It is more of a light yellow, almost a watered honey in color. Nose: Any weakness perceived by its pale color is blown away by one whiff once poured. A nose not meant for the faint of heart. Campfire smoke dominates with some additional medicinal iodine and beachside sea salt air. Palate: For anyone new to Islay Scotch smoke is going to make up 90%-95% of the palate at first. Once acclimated, additional notes of sea salt, bacon, and processed ham can be found. At one point during the sip, there is almost a sweet note of bitter chocolate... if you hallucinate a little and really look for it. Summary: This is an incredible bottle of whisky and one of my personal favorites. It is a great representation of classic Islay Scotch. A person more acquainted with Bourbon may find the description above to be a bit strange. However, after giving it a try I think you will find it to be an enjoyable change of scenery from the sweetness of bourbon. A must-have for any home bar.