I feel like I am sometimes unfair to Ardbeg, because it's not Laphroaig, so I've taken it upon myself to retaste a lot of Ardbeg and try to let it be it's own thing instead of always comparing it. It's got a long rolling smoke that I really appreciate. The smoke lingers and it lasts. The thing that really makes this whiskey stand out the most, smoke aside, is its remarkable sweetness. It has a honey/pear/sugar syrup and almond/marzipan behind all the smoke - I think a lot of this is from the limosin aging. It also picks up quite a bit of wood spice, which hangs out in the smoke. It has the savory smoked meat of ardbeg, but it's like candied smoked meat. In my mind, the smoke and sweetness play well together, although the balance is not perfect - I think they could stand to mingle in each other's company for a few more years.