The first thing is you definitely get a faceful of Ardbeg with this beer. It smells exactly like Ardbeg, peaty and smoky and that flavor kicks in strongly at the start. The flavor transitions to a kind of dank vegetal smoky-raw alcohol taste that did sit well at first. Here again, to me, the beer got a lot better as it warmed, but I love peaty Scotches. I do have to say that this was not a popular share with the crowd, either.