I've had a bottle of this before, but never reviewed it, and anyways, it's been a few years since I've tried it. I got my brother-in-law hooked on whisky, and this was what he offered on a recent visit. Thought I'd share a few notes after several years (and several drams in between) this classic pour. Despite past whinging about low ABV, I'm somehow not bothered by the 43% here. There's still plenty of dense, meaty peat to be found in this dram. Over the years I've gradually tried other offerings from Lagavulin, but to my taste at least, nothing is able to stand up to the standard 16. This spirit just really does well with time in the barrel. The 8 and 9 year old offerings of the past few years have been good, but that extra 7-8 years in the barrel give this dram a depth of flavor and a profile that is so very unique, even amongst Islay pours. In addition to the rich, meaty peat, there's a deep, almost overly tannic oak to the palate, and as a unique part of the finish, spearmint, which isn't to be found in other expressions. I'm no fan of Diageo. They seem (perhaps rightfully so in their minds) more interested in the bottom line than making sure everything they put out is a quality product. I'm not a fan of their passing on the new tariffs to the consumer almost instantly after the new year. I'm not a fan that this is now $110 in Texas. But damn if this isn't good whisky, and damn it all if I won't shell out the money for it. Curse you Diageo and your soulless milking of your loyal consumers. You know we'll pay...