Let's start off with a little warmup. Back in October I unearthed my samples (purchased from Southern California Whiskey Club) of the original US editions of Asyla, Eleuthera, and Peat Monster. I tried them side by side in the order I list them below, comparing and contrasting. They were small samples (about 15mL) so I'm going to give them letter grade range below, rather than an exact number grade.

Nose - First there are the fruits lemons, limes, and peaches. Then some toffee and salty air. Lots of dried herbs too. Some shortbread cookies show up after some air.
Palate - Very soft and mellow. Mild sweetness, vanilla, a little bit of flower blossoms. Lots of first-fill-ex-bourbon oak. Some sharper young stuff underneath.
Finish - Sweet. Think brown sugar, vanilla, and orange oil.
Comments: Very nice nose, somewhat forgettable palate. Probably could have used the 46%abv at which they bottle their vatted malts. I have doubts that the components reached their 10th birthday. In any case, it's not bad stuff, it's fine. There's just not much motivation to pay $45-$50 for it. Grade range: C+/B-

Nose - Starts off with a big ol' Band-Aid note, followed by peat moss and a little bit of seaweed. Some moderate notes of vanilla and orange zest too.
Palate - Gentle warm peating. Limes and oranges and marzipan and "hint of horse shit". Don't ask me, I just work here. It starts out lightly peppery but gets progressively more peppery with time.
Finish - Peppery again here. Some toasty oak and light citrus. Much longer than the Asyla's finish.
Comments: I reviewed this blend of 15yo Clynelish and 12yo Caol Ila almost three years ago when it was still kinda available. Though my notes are a little different I generally agree about the quality and the blending skill. This really seems like a single malt. Grade range: B

Nose - Very leafy. Fresh herbs. A bit of American oak, but not much. Cinnamon, molasses, and vanilla bean. Tart apples, sort of like cider vinegar without the stank.
Palate - A peating level that won't offend. Mellow smoke, a little bit of tar and concrete. Lots of sugars, along with cocoa and mint.
Finish - Brown sugar, vanilla, and a little bit of moss. A good long salty finale.
Comments: I think I've tried every version of The Peat Monster, but it's never shown to be a monster. They're all cuddly peat cows. These early batches were more herbal than smoky or mossy. The most recent batches, like the one I reviewed 16 months ago, are getting better, louder, and fuller. Perhaps there will be another review this week. Grade Range: B-/B
Okay, a good start. Tomorrow, a blind Taste Off......