Nose: seaspray, rock, peat, smoke very faint hints of wood, some leather and spice as well. Palate: rock, salt, and peat upfront. Mouthfeel is thick and oily as you’d expect for a whiskey like this. You can tell this was distilled and aged near the sea, and I love it. Very little alcohol burn is present, which allows you to really enjoy the various flavors. Finish: long, as any peated single malt should be. The smoky flavors really come through here in the finish. Seaweed and burning tires begin to emerge. I also pick up some oak near the tail end. Overall: GREAT. Talisker prides itself on being a unique distillery and it shows in its flagship product. It’s similar to an Islay single malt, but it highlights different flavors. There is much more emphasis on the sea rather than the smoky flavors here. It’s a wonderful addition to any single malt lover’s collection. If you already have a good Islay scotch and are thinking of getting a second, I would hold off and pick up a bottle of this instead. It’s not quite as refined as Lagavulin 16, but it’s every bit as good as (or better than) Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10.