This new whisky, distilled back in 1987, is still surprisingly smoky, at least on the palate. The nose has minimal peat, with notes of vanilla, citrus and spiced pear leading the way. The palate opens up with papaya, clementine, vanilla custard, burnt toffee, and a touch of iodine and menthol, all backed by a softened but still predominant layer of smoke. The tropical fruit notes that often rise to the forefront in a whisky this old remain in the background, and thats a welcome change. At just under 50 percent ABV, theres a little bit of heat here, and the whisky is non-chill filtered to retain maximum flavor.

The subtitle in the name of this new Ian Hunter Series release is Source Protector. This is a reference to the Kilbride Stream, the water source for Laphroaig that was so valued by Hunter, the final member of the distillerys founding family to manage the operation. Thats an important marker in the distillerys history, but an expensive whisky like this must make its impact known first and foremost via flavor, not story. In that regard, Book 3 is very good, but it is also quite similar to Book 1, a 30-year-old single malt that also spent its entire maturation period in bourbon barrels. This new whisky is three years older, and a completely different vintage, so if you are lucky enough to try the two back to back, it should be interesting to see how they compare. But even on its own, this new luxury release from Laphroaig is a delectable dram with no gimmicksjust a lustily peated single malt classically aged in bourbon barrels for a third of a century.