Ardbeg's 17 Years Old - "Lord of the Islays"

Nose: The gentlest of peats, yet deep and confident with an enticing sweetness - a heady mixture of malt and vanillins. Vaguely salty and very complex with oak present but very much in harness. Just a hint of bourbon and even a fainter hint of tangy orange to widen the spectrum.

Taste: There is a much greater presence of peat in the taster than the nose suggests. The smokiness quickly hits the palate and then tapers off. That said, the middle shows an excellent chewy malt alongside a touch of cocoa.

Finish: The peat returns and guarantees and enormously long finale. The taste of the malt clings and hints of liquorice and dry toast are detected. This form of oakiness continues but never becomes sappy or too dry as the peat balances this out beautifully.