Nose:  Peat and light sherry notes.

Palate:  peat, peaches and dried fruit, a bit perfumy.

Finish:  Tangy fruit notes with peat.

N: Cinnamon, struck matches with light plastic notes. Cherries and faint sherry fruitiness. Lots of candy stuff here (fireball candy and big red chewing gum)

P: Starts waxy with oily texture. Sherry and peat in good balance. Tarry but not sulphured like the original lagavulin 21. Spearmint, licorice and leather.

F: Dark black tea

The sherry in the new release is lighter and not as dense (compared to the old 21).  B+/A-

I didn't draw a whole lot of complexity from this. It just didn't blow my mind. Maybe the expectations were raised a bit too high. I didn't like it extravagantly more than the 16, although it does have a much healthier kick of sherry that I happily welcome. The palate does do a very good job at balancing phenols with sherry. I get some blood red oranges. The finish is a delight, pretty lip smacking. As I reminisce, reading my notes, I do remember it more fondly now...but it's true: it does not compare to the 2007 21. 

Going with Fuji on a B+/A- 

N: Moderate peat, good rich sherry influence.