There's rubber, slow roasted char along with cooked vanilla, cooked coconut, and pine nuts. Subdued are the fruit notes which come across as a fresh strawberry note, bright cherries, and fleeting hibiscus. Underemphasized relative to other Laphroaigs are the medicinal, vegetable notes and more astringent smoke notes. It is smoky, of course, but this is a smooth char, not a viscous tar or asphalt flavor. Nor do seaweed or kale feature. In the palate there's pickled pear, smoked brisket, vanilla, more of that clean char, heather, rose hips, and pepper steak. What really dominates however is the brine. I mean this is one salty Laphroaig. Indeed, if I lined up every Laphroaig I've had (and I've had quite a few), and did a vertical, this might be my pre-matchup favorite to win the brine competition. This could give Morton's a run for its money. What doesn't feature is fruit. It isn't the 2013 Cairdeas Port Wood or Brodir or the travel exclusive Port Wood Finish. It's barely had any time in the casks at all. Indeed, I almost feel like I might have thought better of this if they hadn't pushed this as being a "Port & Wine Casks" Cairdeas and just named it "Salt Lick." That and the rubber. It tastes like someone peeled out in the middle of a salt flat and you licked the tire. Granted, if you are bizarre enough to enjoy Laphroaig, as I am, that isn't entirely bad. It just doesn't have pronounced fruit notes. As for the finish, it's soot, brine, black tea, a bit of marmalade, and a lingering smoke. It's not terribly complex, although the soot and brine are still delightful in their own right. It isn't sweet but this would likely go well with caramels. It feels like it's just demanding to turn a confectionary into something savory. The roof of my mouth is a briny treasure trove. I thought I might have gotten some pink grapefruit at one point but I may have been hallucinating. As far as the Cairdeas line-up, here's how I'd rank them: 2013 Port Wood (there will never be another like it, I'm afraid) 2018 Fino 2015 200th Anniversary 2014 Amontillado 2016 Madeira 2020 Port & Wine 2017 Cask Strength Quarter Cask 2019 Cask Strength Triple Wood