A number of years ago, I went out for drinks with colleagues from work, including a colleague from Ireland who I knew loved whiskey. At the time, I was a bourbon enthusiast who had only scratched the surface of Scotch. My Irish friend got to the bar before me, and had a drink in hand when I arrived. I asked him what it was, and he offered me a sip. Holy smoking peat! I had never tasted anything like it. Peaty, obviously, but also a familiar vanilla (undoubtedly from the barrels) and some nice sweetness. "Wow! What is that?" I asked. "Laphroaig 10," he said. I immediately walked over to the bar, ordered a Laphroaig 10, and the rest is history. This whiskey is an assault on the senses, but also a thing of beauty. It started me on a long exploration of Scotch (peated Scotches in particular), and it still is a staple of my collection.