Islay

Lagavulin 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2014 Edition
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

54.4% ABV
$110-$180
Website

What the Distillery Says

From Islay’s most famous distillery, this lively and clean expression of what was for whiskey writer, Michael Jackson, “Islay’s most complex malt” combines the anticipated Lagavulin smoky intensity with gentle, fresh aromas and a delicious toffee and fruit sweetness. Add water and those clean scents are softer, accompanied now by a subtle interplay of mint and wood smoke. On the palate it’s intense, sweet and oily, with lime zest wreathed in wood smoke, while when water is added it’s like eating a slice of rich fruit-cake near a wood stove. Tasted neat, the finish is long and warming, with sweet wood smoke. With water it has a delicate sweetness, with fresh-cut pine and autumn smoke. This is a Lagavulin free from worries, with a lighter spring in its step.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Briny, smoky peat, sea air, earthy, bit of grilled lemons.
Palate:  Dry, malty sweetness with peat, bit of unsweetened lemonade, vegetal notes with sea salt and roasted pine nuts.
Finish:  Long and drying with honey, peat and sea salt.
Comments:  Lagavulin wears the higher ABV well (not that this is a shock, as I can’t think of any whiskey I wouldn’t enjoy at CS over a 4x% bottling). This is significantly lighter in color than the standard bearer 16 yr which I tried side-by-side. A similar nose to the classic 16 yr, with a bit more citrus neat. Palate is intense, and a bit thicker mouthfeel. Not sure I’d say I like this better – it is a bit different, more intensity but a bit less complexity. The premium price would be a turn off for me – as it can be double the price of the 16 yr which I think is insane.

Rating: Stands Out

Laphroaig Càirdeas Port & Wine Casks
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

52% ABV
$90-$100
Website

What the Distillery Says

TWO REDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. INTRODUCING THE 2020 CÀIRDEAS – AN INSTANT CLASSIC CRAFTED WITH RUBY PORT BARRIQUES AND RED WINE CASKS
Our 2020 annual release of Laphroaig Càirdeas, Port & Wine Casks, continues our long history of innovation. A unique marriage of our classic Laphroaig whisky rested in second-fill Ruby Port ‘barriques’ along with whisky double matured in ex-Bourbon barrels followed by ex-red wine casks. Soft, round and warming, it’s an incredible ‘friendship’ that charts continents, styles and flavours.

Aromas of dark chocolate and menthol with pink peppercorns open up to an extraordinarily complex flavour. Toasted peaches, charred marshmallows and a hint of plum jam intertwine with Laphroaig’s iodine rich peat smoke to create a limited edition that lingers long on the palate and the memory.

FRIENDS ONLY
On Islay there is a saying; We don’t make friends easily but the ones we do are for life. Launched in 1994, Friends of Laphroaig are fans, friends and followers of our distillery from all over the world. Never short of an opinion or two they help Laphroaig explore new expressions, attend tastings and sometimes even visit the distillery at Laphroaig’s home on Islay. To reward the loyalty of its following, each year we launch exclusive bottlings within the Càirdeas series.

Càirdeas means ‘friendship’ in Gaelic and, each year, a limited-edition bottling is crafted by distillery manager and fifth generation Islay native, John Campbell, available exclusively to Friends of Laphroaig.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Rose Gold
NOSE: Dark chocolate and menthol with pink peppercorns. Toasted peaches and charred marshmallows and hint of plum jam, all intertwined with Iodine rich peat smoke.
BODY: Full bodied.
PALATE: Honey Sweet with medicinal smoke.
FINISH: Mouth Warming and mouth coating with a lingering finish and slat on the lips

What Gary Says

Nose:  Port wine, berries, iodine, sea air, earthy with chocolate and a hint of barbecue pork with honey glaze.
Palate:  Sweet entry, fruity with strawberries, peaches and plums, peat, cinnamon, clove and port.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with tart fruit preserves and peat.
Comments:  I’m a fan of Laphroaig, and like some finishes of it (PX Cask is one of my favorites), so I had higher hopes for this one. I expected to like this, and I do – but I can’t say I love it. Not sure I’d go for this over the 10 year cask strength. It is squarely Laphroaig with that peaty medicinal theme, but it feels out of balance. At first sniff I get some fruitiness, but then it is dominated by this earthy mineral note smothered in peat (which I don’t mind).

Rating: Stands Out

Caol Ila 12 Year
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$80 – $90
Website

What the Distillery Says

The ultimate Islay malt, Caol Ila is considered by experts to be the perfect entry point into the world of peaty malt whiskies and a reference for connoisseurs of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky the world over. Fresh, sweetly fruity and smooth-bodied, Caol Ila 12 year old is the colour of pale straw, with a delicate balance of tastes.

APPEARANCE: Pale straw.
BODY: Smooth, pleasant mouth-feel: firm with a light to medium body.
NOSE: Subdued, citric fruitiness; a whiff of bath oil and dentist’s mouthwash. A fresh and appetising nose, with little or no trace of smoke. A little water raises almond oil and old fashioned oilskins; still a fresh fruitiness, a trace of olive oil, and after a while potpourri or scented hand-soap.
PALATE: Drinks well at natural strength; sweet start; pleasant, light fragrant smokiness and a lengthy finish. Smooth, pleasant mouth-feel; with water light acidity, some salt and still the sweeter notes. A complex balance of primary tastes.
FINISH: Sweet smokiness in the lingering, slightly sour finish.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Subtle peat and sea air, grassy, vanilla, hint of grapefruit and apricots, leather, maybe a touch of mint.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with a smoky sweetness, vanilla, light spices, nutmeg, soft peat, orange and lemon zest.
Finish:  Long with peat smoke, slowly building pepper spice.
Comments:  A solid single malt that brings the peat but in a gentle and sophisticated manner. I’m a bit embarrassed that we hadn’t reviewed this classic until now!  This is a pour that I find I enjoy nosing a bit more than drinking (not that I don’t enjoy the sipping part!)  The nose has a bit more complexity than the palate, but both are nicely balanced.  If someone has been turned off by peat in the past (maybe diving right in with a Laphroaig) but is looking to try again, I find this to be a great ‘peat gateway’ pour.

Rating: Stands Out