Peat Fire Flame 29.250 (SMWS)

Peach Flambé would have been a much better name for this fiery, fruity Laphroaig than the atypically generic one the SMWS used. Even diluted to 50%, the fumes fill your head with a mixture of petrol, seaweed, Wellington boots, overripe bananas and sweet balsamic vinegar. The oily distillate starts in the mouth with a dark chocolate note before the surprise star of the event shows up, a left-field burst of peach. What next, cream? Oh yes, thanks, and a sprinkle of brown sugar too. I’ve tried a few SMWS drams over the years but I’m not a member of the society and have never coughed up the premium price they command for their bottles, so I’m chuffed that I got the opportunity to pick up this one at a discount in the secondary market. It’s the best independent Laphroaig I’ve had to date, unique enough to make it interesting yet still distinctly familial.