Tastes

The infamous Laphroaig smoke, tar, sherry, cough syrup, medicinal, herbaceous. Long smoky tar finish. It’s all of those in a big bold package. If you wanted to go on a journey of smoke and sherry this will deliver and so much more. Every time I pour it, I know I’ll be in for a ride.

My 'GO-TO' bourbon for Old Fashions as the ABV can take a little ice. Will probably always have a bottle on the shelf. Solid bourbon notes.

When I have a new whisky drinker over, I serve them this. Not because I'm cheap but it's an easy introduction to scotch. Sweet, malty, fruity and little to no alcohol burn. Not something to get excited about but it not bad either. If I needed another budget blend, I'll pick up another bottle as you could do far worse.

Dark fruits and chocolate, it doesn’t smell hot for 63.3%abv but it comes in later. Not much peat or smoke, it’s buried in the sherry. Add a bit of water and that peat comes out a bit. Doesn’t mention anything about added color or non-chill filter but whatever, it’s delicious.

Waxy walnuts and pipe tobacco, rich sherry and chocolate.

The color would make you think there isn’t much sherry influence but you can smell it right after the smoke, some apple there too. After some time, those fruits sweeten up, almost jam like. Has some meaty/BBQ quality as well. First sip was spicy, then the sherry fruits come in, then smoke/peat, then dry and a bit of ash. The finish is medium length. I can’t get over that this has picked up some beautiful sherry notes that don’t take away from the freshness and still let the smoke be on the forefront. A great whisky IMO, I’m a sucker for peat/smoke and sherry.

Sweet grass/herbal at first smell, hint of earthy peat deep in there. You get a nice rich peat right away, then smoke and then finally fades away to an awesome buttery Irish whisky. Coats the mouth really well. Peat lingers for quite awhile with some dry sourness. Plenty to keep you amused.

I picked up this bottle, I wanted something different from the smoke and peat that is dominating my cabinet. Under appreciated IMO, spent a fair bit of time with this one on a holiday and it really grew on me. Apple and honey with a slight vanilla. A slight bitter end and a touch of sulphur. In for the long haul there’s apple and tannins.

The nose is sherry but there’s some fresher citrus fruit sweetness for me too, not just the typical dried fruits you expect from sherry. Didn’t pick up a lot of smoke until I had a sip, campfire smoke up front, bit of BBQ meat, some earth/peat, bit of spice, dry, sour finish. Wood tannins throughout, not overbearing but assertive in that long finish.

Rich, spicy and brine, three word sum it up, really rich. Time exposed some sweetness and fruits(sherry like?). After a few sips I added a touch of water and it seemed to reduce the heat and spice, more sea water saltiness and seaweed. There is some dry wood on the finish.