Nose: Smoke, brine, earthy and phenolic peat. Mint, lemon oil. Vanilla, brown sugar, freshly baked wheat bread. Dusty, leather bound books. Star anise, dried basil. Light tobacco. Pepper. As the glass opens up more, the fruity strawberry and banana characteristics come forward. Honeyed cereal grains. Black tea. Once you break past the peat and smoke, there's a surprisingly pretty whisky to be found. I almost want to say this starts butting into Irish pot still territory. Palate: Campfire ash, brine, mint, nutmeg. Sugar, vanilla, grain, tea. Pepper and fruit. Cream - almost getting warm bread with honey and whipped cream. Yellow bell pepper. Bitter lemon. Peach. Finish starts off with a lot of those warm, round flavors, then builds into a pop of effervescence on the tongue - the alcohol making its presence known. Then progresses into soft, minty citrus and banana and then slowly fades. Wisps of smoke carry throughout. Eventually lands on a very, very subtle tannin, mossy earth, and dead fire blend. Medium long finish. Those pretty characteristics on the nose are carried through to the palate. Though there are some warmer, round flavors contained within, this is still very pretty. Other notes: I've previously reviewed this and decided to revisit because why not? There's a reason this stuff is so beloved. Though maybe not my first pick for an Islay, I try to keep a bottle of this around due to its availability, price, and sheer level of quality. And though their other expressions (like their quarter cask) tend to be more my style, this is an excellent representative of what peated whiskey can be.