Exclusive Malts (distilled at Ardmore) 14 year old 2000 Cask #233, 54.3%

If you needed proof that Scotch whiskies don’t fit neatly into established categories, look no further than this marine style, peated Highland malt. Sea salt, oyster shells, and light smoke lead the nose, with hay and apricot underneath. In the entry, the flavors burst on the palate with sea salt, honey, malt, oak, and smoke. Peat smoke really builds in the mid-palate but manages not to lose the supporting flavors, although it becomes the real star of a long finish. (U.S. only)