Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Nose: No-apologies, bold whiffs of peat, smoke, and phenol up front. But then it gets more interesting... further exploration reveals hints of gunpowder, sea air, cinnamon and seems to me a bit of black pepper in there too.

Taste: Peat, smoke, oak. Water helps the sweet notes out (which arrive first)--some brown sugar and hints of licorice, but this is predominantly a savoury whisky. Despite the boldness of the peat and smoke, this whisky is more mild mannered than you'd expect.

Finish: Goes on and on. In fact, the finish is the best part about this whisky. The peat and oak gradually recede and reveal sweeter notes... most predominantly a brown sugar layer on the smoke. The cinnamon makes an appearance again.

Summary: This is the bottle that started it all for me. Thought I hated scotch until I tasted this--helped me realize I was drinking the wrong scotches. Thus began (and continues) a lovely series of relationships.

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