Meh, I don't get the love for it at all. Any of ardbeg and laphroaig's offerings taste light-years better imho

 
Of the common Ardbegs, Corryvreckan is the most overtly phenolic and very tasty, it's a bit like if you aged the 10yr longer but kept a little of the prickle of the younger stuff and added more smoke.  If you want a slightly more bonfire type smoke with some sherry sweetness and character, the Uigeadail is great as well.






The best value in a smokey Scotch is the Ardbeg 10.  It's cheap, very high quality base spirit, a great interplay of pineapple, citrus, pickled ginger, quality oak, lots of minerally peat smoke, and you know it's all 10yr or better.  It's a lighter style but it's very refined, though I'd love to taste a 15 or 18.






I find the Laphroaig Quarter Cask to be too overtly woody in a sawmill sense (vs vanilla, old barrel wood or char).  I much prefer the 10yr Cask Strength.  Their equivalent to Ardbeg's Corryvreckan is Laphroaig Cairdeas, it's a non-age statement, very richly smoked peater of excellent quality.  






Beyond that, Lagavulin is $85+ and a very rich, balanced chimney & bonfire smoke style with a great honey and dark fruit sweetness, but there's more of a touch of sawmill woodiness these days and the finish isn't as long and rich as it used to be.  It's still excellent, but quality has slipped in the past couple years.  In many ways it's the benchmark for getting so much right and in balance, but it's just not what it once was.  



I think the Lagavulin Distiller's edition, which has a Pedro Ximenz Sherry finish is a better expression these days, tasting more refined though a touch drier.










 

 
Heh.  Yeah...  what he said.  


 

ETA: Seriously though, the folks at Port Charlotte are doing amazing things and really showing the impact of high quality spirit separate from the typical quality indicator of pure age.

This thread just made me pour a laphroig 18

Just bought a started bottle...Ardbeg 10

If you don't have any glencairn glasses, buy at least one, and after you finish the scotch, don't rinse the glass for a while.

It will smell really good for hours after.

Oh, and never soap in the glasses, hot water only.

These Scotch threads are always like your favorite 'aroma' between 'Buttfunk & Feet'...

Truth

What this guy said.

(And learn to say "Islay" correctly before you go buy some...)

Well, don't be the snotty commentator, teach us lowly ignoramuses...
Again, why I just love these 'Scotch' threads.
If you're that educated and experienced, share the knowledge!
Thank you...!  

Somewhere between "eye-lah" and "ay-lah". My Scottish boss' accent becomes undecypherable when he goes native. The Scottish spelling is "Ile", according to him if I recall correctly.

It's damn fine whiskey, if you like it smokey.

Lagavulin FTW!!

Used to buy The Peat Monster too, but I can't seem to find it locally anymore.

 
Mmmm, did you stock up?  Pretty sure that stuff is bye bye for a few years due to low old stock.

Good advice...thank you

Aye luh.

Sorry, I don't know standard phonetics, and wouldn't be able to type them anyway.

Watch some of the Ralfy Whiskey reviews on You Tube, as he says it correctly.

Just cracked my starter bottle of Ardbeg10.....it's pretty great. Smokey. Very interesting to sip. Thank you!