Another treat pulled from the sample stockpile, this is the oldest Cairdeas I have tried to date. The nose is outstanding: warm apricots and plums, heather, leather-bound books, smoked meats and a touch of mint. In the mouth, there’s peppery peat, menthol, sweet raisins and a gentle chocolate note. So far, outstanding. The only thing that knocks it back a star for me are the dry tannins in the finish, which is otherwise long and peppery. That oakiness is the hallmark of the quarter casks and the one characteristic of the Laphroaig stock that I don’t really care for. Whenever I encounter them in Laphroaig, I find they dominate the finish and break the reverie from what preceded it. If you’re okay with that, then this is a five-star whisky. For me, it’s merely great.