Nose Fine, distinguished. Liquorice sticks and vanilla pods surge from within the glass. A very delicate and subtly medicinal peat then coats the aromatic palette. The nose shifts from a syrupy register to a more saline, iodised, camphoric and oily feel. A wonderful chocolatey bitterness, tangy fruits (pineapple, grapefruit) and a generous helping of smoke (fireplace) take over.
Palate Lively, full-bodied. Remarkably well-balanced, the attack on the palate reveals an oily peatiness, thick smoke, intense spices (cinnamon, coriander), ripe fruits (pear, apple) and white florals (lily, lilac). The mid-palate is liquorice-infused and oily (olive, walnut). The peat turns drier and more saline (kelp)
Finish Unctuous, creamy. Little by little, the peat transforms into fruit (mango, guava). This natural evolution is a reminder that this is a 33-year-old single malt, and an Islay to boot. The retro-nasal olfaction sees the peat make a triumphant and medicinal return to the limelight. The empty glass is characterised by notes of pipe tobacco, mimosa and liquorice.