The nose starts with barbecued shrimp, charred hay bales and caramelized pears then dark chocolate covered raisins, dehydrated cherries and light florals followed by a light flinty minerality, persimmons, gooseberries and blackberries that transitions to black pepper, popsicle sticks and freshly open gauze bandages with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit before a moderate peppery spice that slowly fades to grilled crab legs, burning hay bales and sautéed apples then cocoa powder dusted prunes, sour cherries and light florals followed by a sea side rocky minerality, persimmons, gooseberries and blackberries that transitions to black pepper, popsicle sticks and freshly opened gauze bandages with medium ethanol. The finish is medium length with charred hay bales, caramelized apples, dehydrated cherries, blackberries, candied ginger, black pepper and gauze bandages. Overall, a really delicious dram that combines flavors of grilled seafood, hay, creamy sweet caramelized fruits along with light minerality, sour berries, moderate pepper and light oak, but the fruits veer more into the sour territory than I prefer along with a moderate spice that throws off the balance for me. At around $70 near me, I think this is fairly priced and would be an incredible smoky treat for anyone that isn’t as averse to sour flavors as me. This is a great start to my little exploration through a few of Bruichladdich releases and a huge thanks @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample.