Nose - dense peat, raisin bread, plum, fig, apricot, dark chocolate, rubber, toffee, vanilla bean, iodine, black pepper, raspberry, rich oak, seaweed, brine, ash, tar, dry vegetal notes, black cherry, anise, orange zest, mint, clove, nutmeg, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet peat, toffee, date, raisin, black pepper, rubber, vanilla, chocolate, iodine, brine, seaweed, smoked meat, licorice, clove, allspice, rich oak, raspberry, orange and lemon zest, spearmint, herbal and vegetal notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with sweet peat, smoked meat, baking spice, and toffee flavors. I wrote yesterday that Laphroaig 16 was the most complex Laphroaig I had ever encountered. Lore takes it to another level, but they are very different. The 16 presented as rather light and juicy with sparkling fruits and fresh, minty notes. Lore is much darker and more brooding. The chocolate notes are deeper and dried dark fruits make a strong appearance. Interestingly, there’s also a smoked meat note that was not on the 16, and different from the smoked fish note I found on the standard 10. The Lore profile begs for a comparison to Uigeadail, which I’m happy to oblige. I haven’t revisited the Oogie in some time, so it’s a happy reunion. Right off the bat, Lore smells older. The fruits are dry, dark, and well married. The peat is also mellower and subtler, compared to the Oogie’s fresher, greener stance. On the palate, the Oogie again presents as brighter and more citric with fresher dark fruit notes. Lore maintains the Laphroaig profile, but it’s more nuanced and complex. Overall, Lore is great stuff. I understand that many balk at the fact that this replaced the 18 year age stated offering. I have no experience with that release, but Lore is a strong contender and presents as around that old to me. Lore and Oogie are both well executed whiskies. I can see myself waffling between which I like more, depending on the day. Today, I like Lore better. Sadly, I’ll also be dropping my rating of Oogie one notch based on this tasting. It’s still excellent whiskey, especially for the money, but as I’ve gained more experience, I don’t think it competes with truly outstanding whiskies. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the sample. This was a fun one to review and compare.