Nose: Brine, iodine, seaweed, smoke, earth - definitely phenolic. Peer through that, and there's definitely some vanilla and brown sugar, along with some oak. Bitter lemon peel. Wintergreen. Some slightly vegetal, "green" notes like green bell pepper. Toasted black pepper, cardamom. Camphor. Licorice. This is definitely Laphroaig but all the knobs are turned up. As I let it sit in the glass and come to temp and I acclimate to it, I can tease out a little banana-style fruit behind everything else. Also getting hit with lemon pepper vibes, which if you've ever had the pre-made stuff you know it doesn't simply taste like just lemon and pepper. There's a funk buried in there as well, like when you dig a really deep hole at the beach, but also when the tide is super low and you hang out in the tide pools that are left behind. Fresh cut grass quality, as well. Even though this is 60%, it's not slapping me around like I'd normally expect. Palate: Brine, vanilla, brown sugar. Iodine, seaweed. Smoke, earth, phenol. Oak. Black pepper, nutmeg, anise, cinnamon. Camphor, thyme, basil. Ashy throughout. Mint, chocolate. Lightly aromatic pipe tobacco. Sweet orange, bitter lemon. Where regular Laphroaig 10 parses as sweet and pretty and friendly, this is coming across rich and dense, and though it's "darker", it's not "dark". There's some dusty leather/dusty book going on. Again, this is definitely Laphroaig turned up. Ripe fruits. Oil content is high, so each sip adds more and more to the party. Warm apple pie, rosted bell peppers, and the effervescence of the alcohol. This is relatively evenly balanced between upper, middle, and lower palate. Mouthfeel is medium. Finish: The ethanol has been present throughout, but on sip you get this bright peppery flash. That presents next to mint, citrus oils, cocoa, and sweet basil. Earthy, ashy, phenolic notes are also way out in front. Rich chocolate and cream with chipotle powder and smoke paprika, like the finest mexican hot chocolate you can imagine. The brine and iodine come up next, along with more mint and fruit. Think strawberry shortcake topped with macerated strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and garnished with a sprig of mint. We're left with this beautiful mix of sweet pipe tobacco, chocolate, leather, brine, barrel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Oil content here is fantastic, lending to a long finish. Other notes: When I saw this on the shelf, I got excited. I tempered my expectations to not get too disappointed, but this is excellent. It's what you want it to be - big, bold, concentrated cigar smoking mermaid bathwater. I tend to prefer the output of Ardbeg, with Laphroaig bringing up a distant second, but this approaches the darker, denser characteristics I like. And because of the proof and oil content, playing with adding water and the like will reveal some other flavors and give you plenty to explore. I like this. A lot. Easily my favorite Laphroaig expression thus far.