Just opening the bottle I smell the smoke! Poured neat, oily in the glass it coats well. Nosing this is unlike anything ive ever had. Yes I get the bandaids, the pungent powerful smoke, the salt air, menthol, as advertised. No pun its intoxicating. Its the smoke.......it is so present, but it has a sweetness buried in it. Like you threw a marshmallow right into the campfire, screw the stick. A whole bag of em, plastic too and it burnt to a charred crispy glob, yeah baby! Tasting starts with smokey char morphing into creamy burnt marshmallow sweetness, sizzling thick cut salted bacon, then back to applewood smoked bbq with a loooong finish of sooty malty goodness ( finish is so long you'll taste it next day!). The luscious smoke surrounds the whole experience. More notes come in time. Just as it sits in the glass it mellows some and I can taste the malt coming through more with touch of honey. As it continues to open up and my palate adjusts I can get clarified butter on nose and milk chocolate on palate. This is meaty and ultra savory. Very complex and rich with an abundance of flavor. Also at 92pf there is no burn just quality. Contrary to some reports it does not taste like an ashtray or a burning hospital. This stuff changes my perception of what whisky can be. There is nothing to fear , Ardbeg is magnificent!!! I don't know why I waited ......91/100 ...smoke nirvana.