Acrid and sharp. The oak is strong and I heartily disagree with the review on here. The smoke is so strong that it doesn't lay like the regular laphroaig. It is bitter and the density of the peat doesn't make itself apparent until you add a drop of water. Peat becomes mellowed over time but the quarter cask allows the oak to reach its peak faster without waiting for 10 years to mature. A drop of water improves this whiskk immensely.