Sweet, citrusy, some honey. Finish doesn't last as long as I'd like but is delicious, smoke shows itself there. Tastes of rum cake on the crossover into the finish. Easy to enjoy over a long evening. Grade: A-

RETASTE: I don't know what it is with this whisky.  Some nights, nobody is impressed.  Others, everyone is impressed.  What that says to me is that this single malt is highly dependent on what precedes it -- now, any whisky can actually have that quality, so that's not a fair thing to say really -- but somehow, Laphroaig 30 seems to suffer disproportionately from that effect.  When this stuff is good, it's exceptional. The fruit is definitely what's at the forefront here. Nectarines, tangerines, peaches, stuff like that. Lightly floral and maybe herbal aspects too. Gentle smoke comes in as a background effect.  It all goes down so nicely, riding a silky mouthfeel.  Get it while you can!  A-

Bourbon? [tasted blind] Sweet spice and oak, smothered in rum and chocolate. Wow. This is wild.

Retaste: [Semi-blind] Nose of cherries, perfume, and black licorice.  Palate of grape and peat.  Finish is long and tasty.  B+ 

I have a long history with this one and my opinion is contantly evolving.  Guess that makes this a complex whisky.

n:  Fantastic.  Pine wookd soaked in Christmas spices and simple syrup.

p:  Rubber and motor oil.  More bitter at first than the nose suggests.  The finish gets a bit firewoody.  Not a knockout but highly drinkable.  Over 10 different attempts, it's a safe B+ 

Nose:  Really nice.  Coal, leather, fruit roll ups.

Palate:  Again, really nice fruit and peat with some tobacco notes, wood polish, lots of notes, flavors coming in waves.

Finish:  Sweet on the mouth, day old BBQ coals on the nose.

Just super stuff.  At higher abv, this would be a clear A.  As is, it's an A/A-

N: Stewed fruits, sweet syrup, candied apples, ripe strawberries, black cherries and black tea.  A very delicate nose that makes me think of fresh baked warm pie

P: Oily mouthfeel. Black tea, sweet fruits (but not cloying).  The peat and brine sneak up after the sweetness and is not very pronounced.

F: Mints and eucalyptus but does get a bit rubbery

Tasted blind against 16 other Phroaigs and this was my second favorite, beaten (just barely) by a younger cadenhead sherry phroaig.  Not your traditional peat monster with the big medicinal notes.  The sherry fruit and peat combination works beautifully here

N: Heavenly - Can I make a candle out of this?

P: Vanilla and macadamia nuts - smooth and very drinkable. Delicious.

F: Really nice long linger that leaves a fantastic sweet taste with you for a good while.  

Overall, great depth and complexity.  

n: malty, doused matchstick, charred vanilla caramel.

t: very delicious with lemon wax and black tea. Middle is leather, Earl Grey tea, and dried tobacco with a hint of phenol (black latex). Beautifully balanced, dried red fruit and gentle complexity. Dense and oily. Marcona almonds in the long finish. [A-/A]