I have achieved Whisky Nirvana... North Carolina ABC's run this on sale every December for $90. I finally decided to pull the trigger. Here goes... Nose: Layer upon layer of depth here. Peat smoke, charred meat, campfire char. The autumny smell of someone miles away burning leaves. Smoky without the medicinal/chemical qualities of Laphroaig or Ardbeg. Delicate notes are floating just below the smoky surface. Sea breeze. A creamy, buttery confectionary sweet with an added citrusy tang. You could spend an hour trying to pick out different notes. So much depth and nuance present. No ethanol burn. You can really explore this one. Quite possibly my favorite nose to date. Neat: Again...Layers. Starts off with charred meat and ash with light salt brine. Then the sweeter notes of sweet cream, honey, apple and pear, and a hint of citrus peel. A tingly finish with a mild warming sensation. Almost effervescent. A peppery tingle coats the palate and lingers with a hint of lemon zest, ash and a touch of menthol. Splash: A couple drops of water bring a little bit of a prickliness to both the nose and palate. Does not mute any of the prevalent palate notes and adds a hint of fire roasted peanut. Verdict: The extra 6 years in the cask really separate this from the Laphroaig and Ardbeg. Those are angry and peat forward. Chemically and aggressive. The Lagavulin takes those notes and tames them and lets the true quality of the malt shine through. I will definitely keep a $100 in the whiskey budget for a bottle of this every year. It shouldn't be difficult as I would be hard pressed to name any of the expensive "chase" bourbons that I enjoy even half as much as this.