I think this is a good deal better than its predecessor which had no age statement. I always get suspicious when distilleries remove age statements because I feel they're embarrassed to admit their decreasing the age in order to maximize profit. I love that Bruichladdich did the opposite. They added an age statement and it's pretty obvious that it is indeed older than than the NAS that came before it. The smoke has nicely acclimated to the other flavors such stone fruit, brine, and caramel. If you've had the Classic Laddie you know what's there behind the peat. However, if you find those same notes in this, you'll find that they're darker, richer, and less sharp. If I had to describe the profile to a fellow lover of Islay, it's about halfway between Laphroaig and Ardbeg. It has the brine of Argbeg with the smoke and a little bit of the medicinal notes that Laphroaig has. Pick this up because it's good.