DUO ISLAY LAPHROAIG 10 ANS BOWMORE 13 ANS THOMPSON BROS

Nose : Clean, relaxed, and well-behaved despite its high proof. It opens with a mix of salted pistachios and pineapple roasted on a George Foreman grill, finished with a light dusting of Demerara sugar and a lift of fresh spearmint. Then come the odder, excellent details - dried capers and green apple blitzed in a Nutribullet - before that classic, medicinal Laphroaig character steadily takes over.

Palate : Sweet and creamy on the arrival, led by vanilla cream, confectioner's sugar, and crunchy almond brittle. The mid-palate takes a sharp, briny turn into caperberries and preserved lemons. Once the smoke gets going, it brings a wonderfully rugged Islay texture: driftwood beach bonfires, old lobster creels, tarred ropes, and a bit of oily, waxed sealskin and camphor.

Overall : Long and nicely balanced. It stays clean on the palate with mineral sea salt, a fresh sting of medicinal wipes, and the lingering richness of roasted cashews.

Nose : It opens up gently with "low and slow" peat-smoked pineapple and toasted grist. A soft, nostalgic sweetness follows, bringing notes of cream soda, tonka bean, vanilla, and white "milk bottle" sweets. The profile then takes a slightly industrial turn toward brined green pepper, soot, and paraffin, finished with a quiet, medicinal hint of dental rinse and the vegetal smoke of a fine Mezcal.

Palate : That BBQ’d pineapple carries straight through, now balanced by a zesty, brined green chilli and lime salsa. The mid-palate returns to the sweet shop with more milk bottles, vanilla sugar, and a soft note of almond Turkish Delight. It hits a nice peak of sweetness before swinging back to its Islay roots, rounding out with heavy woodsmoke, earthy peat, and thick soot

Overall : Long and coastal. It moves cleanly into bitter meadow herbs and dry, lingering peat smoke, with just a final touch of damp clay.