Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years 43% $65+ Discontinued What the Distillery Says: Mildly smokey with sweet, warm undertones – and just a hint of the sea – Laphroaig Fifteen year old is robust and succulent. Fulfilling and utterly unforgettable. Made in tiny quantities, it is esteemed and savoured around the world by a fortunate few. Enjoy it neat or with a splash of soft water.
What Richard Says: Nose: Much lighter brine and smoke notes compared to the younger siblings. It’s interspersed with a nice floral sweet back note. Palate: Unseasoned seaweed chips with just a mild hint of sweetness. There’s also a minty cherry thing going on in the background. Finish: Long and dry. And old wood burning stove that’s been unused for years. Comments: This is a long gone bottling replaced by the 18 Year Old back in 2010. When the switch first occurred I swore up and down that I preferred the old 15 to the new 18. However, as time and tastes have mellowed I can’t say one is really better than the other. The three years, higher proof, and non-chill filtration make the 18 stand out. Maybe it was just the nostalgia and sadness I felt whenever a good dram was discontinued. I like the 10 Year Cask Strength much better but for those who want a piece of history grab this one if you see it. Rating: Stands Out
Laphroaig Triple Wood Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48% $60-$65 Website What the Distillery Says: This expression of our famous whisky, from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland, has enjoyed a triple maturation in 3 types of cask. Just as with our standard Quarter Cask expression, the first maturation is in American oak, ex-Bourbon Barrels. We then select the most suitable of these barrels, containing a range of different aged spirit and transfer into small 19th Century style Quarter Casks for a second maturation. The final maturation is in specially selected, large European oak, Oloroso Sherry Casks.
It is bottled at 48% ABV and is non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture.
COLOUR: Bright gold NOSE: At 48%, straight from the bottle, the initial flavour is quite sweet with a gentle mixture of sweet raisins and creamy apricots with just a trace of the dry peat smoke at the back, the smoother nutty flavours combine all these flavours into one smooth, syrupy whole. With a touch of water the peat smoke comes to the fore and masks the gentler fruitier notes. Even with the maturation being carried out in 1st fill bourbons, quarter casks and sherry butts, the intense bonfire ash smell of the earthy peat cannot be masked BODY: Powerful yet with a creamy consistency PALATE: With no water, a large initial burst of peat belies the slight lack on the nose but is gentled on the tongue by the creamier flavours of vanilla and fruit with just a suggestion of sherry sweetness. With a trace of water the peat reek is gentled, allowing the more complex flavours of citrus fruits and spices to come through. A slight tang comes from the European Oak balancing the creamier American White Oak. FINISH: Mouth filling and extremely long but balanced by the sweet smooth caramel taste
What Richard Says: Nose: [SMACK] take that you peaty wench! The sherry cask finishing almost destroys the smoky nose of the Quarter Cask. It doesn’t really scream sherry either. It’s more of a stone fruit and nut combination. There are little trace hints of smoke in the background but they are very understated. Palate: Oily and viscous in all the right ways. I would expect the sherry finishing to make the palate sweeter than the Quarter Cask but it’s actually less so. This is an almost lighter and more integrated expression. The sweetness is more fruit derived and with a more tannic spin. Light peatiness again plays around the edges. Finish: A rich, slow, but persistent fade. You are left with left over charcoals from last night’s fire. Comments: The Triple wood is essentially the Quarter Cask further finished in sherry barrels. It’s amazing how such a pronounced and aggressive dram like the Quarter Cask can take such a sharp right turn with the additional wood time. I don’t necessarily like one more than the other. They are like different sides to the same coin. Very intriguing. However, I do think the Triple Wood will be more approachable for those new to Islay or Laphroaig compared to the Quarter Cask. Rating: Stands Out
I would like to thank Ben and the team over at DBC Public Relations for providing us with bottles for review.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48% $55 Website What the Distillery Says: Laphroaig Quarter Cask offers an irresistible doubling of flavour, due to the double maturation in two barrels made of American oak. Still-maturing whisky from our standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks and left to rest in our warehouse just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic shore.
This process represents Laphroaig breathing new life into a once-defunct tradition: the use of the smaller cask size, which ensures increased contact with the oak, creating a soft and velvety edge to complement Laphroaig’s distinctive peatiness.
On the nose the sensation is toffee and caramel, caused by the vanillas and tannins of the American oak, plus a dryness from the wood oil. The finish is long and alternates between this sweetness and smoke.
COLOUR: Full sparkling gold NOSE: Burning embers of peat in a crofters fireplace, hints of coconut and banana aromas BODY: Full bodied PALATE: Deep, complex and smoky yet offers and surprises the palate with a gentle sweetness FINISH: Really long, and dries appropriately with smoke and spice
What Richard Says: Nose: This is a campfire the next morning after it has died down and the embers were doused with a light rain or heavy dew. There is also a musty woody note like old polished furniture long forgotten. Palate: Very creamy in the mouth. The 48% ABV seems to be ideal for viscosity. A nice toffee sweetness plays with the smoky flavors well. Finish: A little hot and rustic on the finish. Spicy with more lingering smoke. Comments: A very fine dram in it’s own right but it’s interesting to compare it to the 10 Year Old Cask Strength. In the 10 year the Islay character comes through more peaty and briney. In the Quarter Cask it comes through much smokier. Not different enough to rock your world but you can’t go wrong with either version. Rating: Stands Out
I would like to thank Ben and the team over at DBC Public Relations for providing us with bottles for review.
Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years Original Cask Strength Batch 005 Bottled February 2013 57.2% $60 to $70 Website What the Distillery Says: Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is bottled at natural distillery strength with all the depth of genuine taste and texture normally associated with sampling whisky at source.
We mature Laphroaig in seasoned oak barrels, charred before filling to impart a slight sweet vanilla nuttiness. Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is barrier-filtered only just, to remove the small char particles present. This means you will enjoy Laphroaig exactly as we made it.
In extremes of temperature and when you add water it may appear a little cloudy – this is the natural condition of a malt of such a peaty pungence and uncompromising purity. Adding a little water releases a rich aroma of peat smoke with some sweetness and strong hints of the sea.
Emphatic, full bodied and utterly unforgettable – we like to think it’s the purists choice.
COLOUR: Rich deep gold NOSE: Very powerful, “medicine”, smoke, seaweed and ozone characters overlaying a sweetness BODY: Full and strong PALATE: A massive peated burst of flavour with hints of sweetness at the end FINISH: Long and savoury
What Richard Says: Nose: Oozing with fresh sea air, peat smoke, and seaweed. An almost minty medicinal note. Aggressive and in your face. Palate: Nice initial toffee sweetness laying into a light brine. Finish: Heavy on the peat with light pepper notes. The smokey finish lingers for quite some time. Comments: Wow what a difference a little proof and less filtering makes. This is the better looking older brother who is captain of the football team compared to the standard 10 year old. Seriously delicious and surprisingly easy to drink at cask strength. Rating: Must Try
I would like to thank Ben and the team over at DBC Public Relations for providing us with bottles for review.
Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 40% ABV/80 Proof $40 to $45 Collectible (Old Version) Website
What the Distillery Says: The nose offers a fresh and aromatic experience with a subtle whiff of smoke floating through the air. The taste starts with a light fruit and nut appeal that leads to a spectacular malty sweetness, finishing into a beautifully rich full-bodied, lingering experience.
What Richard Says: Nose: Slightly smokey and a little sweet. Palate: Licorice and fennel seed jump out at first. A mild earthy scotch develops with a little peat smoke around the edges. It’s also nutty and a little salty. Finish: The finish fades to something reminiscent of fresh straw and black pepper with a hint of peat. Comments: If you go out now and buy a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old now this is not what you’ll get. They now bottle it un-chillfiltered and a little north of 46% ABV. I haven’t tried the newer version just yet but I hear it’s a slight improvement over the original. In general I feel that Bunnahabhain gets overlooked in this day of uber-peat obsession. It’s a lightly peated Islay that isn’t going to change your religion or anything but it’s a nice middle of the road dram that’s not disappointing. Rating: Average
