Nose: Phenols, tar, brine, ash and light wafts of citrus. A really wonderful nose of clear, uncluttered peaty smokiness underpinned by subtle fruit complexity. Palate: The peat appears first and has a very fresh coastal character - brine, seaweed, smoked herring and driftwood. The peat-reek is complimented and balanced by fruity, nutty and cereal flavours and some really excellent oak. there is never a hint of bitterness, sourness or plasticy peat. Finish: Long. Smoky, salty and finally sweet and gentle in the aftertaste. This masterful blended malt is the equal of many smokey single malts, and in all honesty I prefer it to some of the iconic expressions. John Glaser is a skilled blender and this is one of his best creations. I get why they named it The Peat Monster for marketing reasons but it's actually a misleading name - there is certainly heaps of peat but it's by no means a monster, it's far too elegant. NOTE: After having a bottle of this open for several months, and now about half-full, I have noticed a slight waxy sour tinge develop on the palate. This expression contains about 13% Caol Ila (of unspecified age) and it's interesting that a tendency towards waxy sourness is something I have noticed with several Caol Ila expressions as they oxidize, so maybe that is the cause here as well? It doesn't spoil the whisky, and is somewhat corrected by adding a dash of water, but it is definitely noticeable. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)