This is a great whiskey to show how different whiskey can be. Even someone who does not drink whiskey can pick up the not so subtle nose of a burning tire fire. The taste starts out with sweet then immediately into a smoked gouda cheese. The smokey flavor goes from gouda to a meaty smoke, like the after taste of an oily smoked brisket. It is an intense experience but there is no alcohol burn or allspice/pepper flavor. The intensity is mostly from the oily and smokey nature of the whiskey. It is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are tired of brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, and pepper spice you get from bourbon/rye, then this is a great whiskey to change it up. I did not give this whiskey a five because I know this whiskey could be more complex. But for a 50 dollar whiskey it is a great introduction to Islay without breaking the bank.