The Speakeasy Ardmore 8 years old

I got this independently bottled Ardmore expression at my local whisky shop who is one of seven shops who get these Speakeasy bottlings. As I understand they are casks owned by a certain Jack Wieber who lets Laing Co. of Scotland store and bottle these whiskies. This one here comes highly recommended by the whisky store owner who secured a couple of them for himself - so let’s see what it is about. Nose: Salt & Peat. Also a lingering sweetness. Simple but likable. The peat is very present, briny, not chemical, medium strong and definitely the strong suit. Palate: Very nice as well. With 46% ABV stronger than expected but it plays along nicely to nutty flavors. Also sugary crust of a crispy pie and light berries (strawberry). Well balanced and quite intense. The young age is definitely contributing to this intensity and makes it exiting, fresh and quite an experience.