Peat smoke, apple, seawater, honey, blackberry, and white pepper on the nose. The palate is on the thin side, with sweet smoke that blossoms into a roaring fire as the heat comes in behind it. The heat from the fire brings the honey and apple with it, roasting them to bring out darker notes from both. The sweetness doesn't last long as a wave crashes in and douses the fire bringing the briny sea water to the fore. The tang from the salt dies down in a few seconds to leave the guttering fire giving off ash and a little bit of salted pork. A couple drops of water made the dram a lot more pretty, with more fruit ending in salted pear and a bit more salty overall. I tried this side by side with the Laphroaig 10 and found this to be the more challenging dram, presenting a journey as you drank it. I found the Laphroaig 10 a lot more pretty and easy going on it's own terms but generally preferred this one.