Nose: Smoke, oak and a host of warm sawdust aromas combine seamlessly to create an elegantly sophisticated nose that is more than the sum of its parts. Suggestions of vanilla, honey, brine, iodine, seaweed, black tea, grapefruit, leather, moist earth (dunnage earth) and ground spices. The distinctive Laphroaig "hospital antiseptic" aroma has muted with age to create a smoky creosote background. In combination it's like a display of polished amber presented on black velvet. With time in the glass the nose gains even greater depth and coherence. Give it at least 15 minutes before tasting and keep nosing all the time. Palate: After the delicacy of the nose, the palate comes as a slight surprise - this whisky is by no means aged and infirm. The arrival is well defined, smoky, slightly dry and a little spicy. In the development it becomes spicy, nutty and creamy. The palate is full of sweet smoke with nuances of tar, bitter lemon, vanilla, avocado and honey - similar to the nose but in a more authoritative form. The spice that appears in the development stays through into the finish. It is warming and soothing on the throat. Finish: Long and lingering, spicy, a good saltiness and just the faintest hint of the trademark Laphroaig licorice. The licorice remains, and is the final flavour, along with a slight bittersweet tang of 90% dark chocolate, a touch of mint, and quite a bit of smoke. A really satisfying finish and aftertaste This whisky has a very nice texture that is both mouth-coating and dry, and 48% abv is perfect to carry it. The critical factor with enjoying it is time - you need to dedicate at least an hour to the dram. Patience. Any comments that this whisky is lacking in peat smoke are, IMHO, based on hurried tastings. It is delicious neat and the only reason to add water is to enjoy a slightly different profile, but please don't drown it, I beg you - just a couple of drops. This enhances both the nose and palate without changing them substantially - everything gains a little fullness, the spice and sweet notes seem to weld together and the smoke is ... well, "blown around in the glass" is the only way I can put it. Not amplified exactly, but uplifited as if by a breeze. This is an excellent whisky that is sadly just about unavailable (I happened to obtain a bottle by chance recently, and I don't know if there is any left in the country now). I certainly hope that in a few years, if their stocks have built up, Beam Suntory will issue another Laphroaig 18 as good as this. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)