The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar - Door Number 10

Each day in December until Christmas Day we are opening a door on The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar and posting our tasting notes on our blog.

And now for something completely different, from Samaroli at least: 2006 Islay 9yo at 43%. It's young and it's from Islay which can only mean one thing: peat!

On the nose there's peat! It's iodine; the smell when you walk past a butcher's shop on a summer's day; fish being smoked; the smell of the sea; a hint of TCP and rubber.

On the palate it's fairly subdued given the nose, with a sweet, medicinal flavour and lots of oak and citrus. Prickly, peppery spices come through with perhaps even chilli eventually getting a look-in..

The finish is where the peat has been hiding. There's a big, medicinal flavour with cloves and honey and some herbal notes. A hint of burnt wood comes in at the end.

With water the nose becomes gentler, as does the palate and finish. Probably best to drink without adding water.

A feisty, peaty dram to warm the cockles.