I recently attended a Friends of Laphroaig tasting event that also featured some bottles from its sister Beam-Suntory brand Bowmore. I'm not an age snob (see previous review of Laphroaig 30 Ian Hunter for a longer explanation), but this is a knockout of a dram. It is heavily fragrant, with an alluring mixture of dark chocolate, raspberry coulis, and woodsmoke on the nose. The palate is richer than the ABV, while the bite is lower: toffee, more peat, and stewed fruits swirl together. I have found port finishes to be very hit and miss for Islay whiskies, with Laphroaig's 2013 Cairdeas Port Wood being an all-time high and Kilchoman's recent port finishes to be off-putting. This is a very successful port finish that reminds me of that old Laphroaig, albeit costing 5 times as much! This dram's final notes are classic sweet-and-peat, with more smoke than I'd expect for a scotch that's just a few years younger than I am, and I was sorry to see it go.