Tastes

Hands down the best whisky that's ever to grace my tongue. Heavy doses of peat and sea mesh seamlessly with a backbone of dried fruit and sherry sweetness—all to the tune of 108.4 proof. Phenomenal mouthfeel for an Ardbeg—a distillery whose whiskies generally tend towards the thinner side—rounds out the experience. Simply put: beg, borrow, and steal to get a dram of this.

As a lover of Talisker and cask-strength drams, 57' North is my kind of whisky. It's hot, but it hides it's alcohol content well enough that it's still quite drinkable neat. Interestingly enough, the smoke and dried fruit here are much more restrained when compared to the Ten Year; instead this whisky plays up it's honey and brine notes—finishing up with just a kiss of peat smoke (water definitely helps to bring that flavor out, though) on the finish. A very good, if relatively straightforward whisky.

Oh what a dram! Less smoky than the Islay malts, this whisky makes up for it by presenting a much more rounded and balanced flavor profile. The peat doesn't dominate because it doesn't need to: what's here is a symphony of wood, brine, smoke, and honey that faintly smacks of cognac on the finish. Brilliant tipple.

There's a lot going on in this glass. Brine, smoke, spice, wood—layer upon layer of savory flavors explode vividly across the palate, leaving the tongue in a glorious daze. Highly recommended.

Peat and sea get dialed back here in favor of a softer, sweeter experience. Toffee and honey notes make for a nice interplay with Laphroaig's standard smoke explosion.

About as subtle as a flying hammer. And if you dig on heavy doses of peat and seawater, you'll love it as much as I do.

Everything you like (or dislike) about Laphroaig's standard ten year, but cranked up to eleven. A brilliant, boozy punch in the face that's best enjoyed straight—no water.