Nose: Muted- but rich peat, sweet seaweed and crispy charred wood, vanilla, cherries in brine, tar, slight soy, and some very dark chocolate.

Palate: Soft peat, sweet cherries, charred wood, leather, dark chocolate, vanilla, brine, earth, and light chocolate.

Finish: Peat, smoke, and crisp wood.

Overall: A tour de force from a Titan of Islay. Laphroaig matured and mellowed, but still with a subtle power and everything you would want from an Islay malt.