Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength (Batch 12)

The nose is yeasty bread dough, lemon squeeze, burnt tennis ball, vanilla cream, briny peat bog. The palate is big on vanilla. Iodine candy. Saltwater. Lemon pound cake. Some spice, cinnamon, clove? Spearmint. Salty smoke and vanilla with a spritz of lemon carry into the finish. The empty glass smells like mesquite smoked brisket drizzled in brown sugar barbecue sauce. Despite 60+% I haven’t yet tried this with water, as it doesn’t appear to need it. Will update if it changes significantly with water. This is a big bruiser of a whisky - it’s rich, pungent, and glorious. I had another batch several years ago, but don’t recall being blown away. I suspect my young whisky palate wasn’t quite prepared for the onslaught of peaty deliciousness of this whisky. I don’t think it’s quite on the level as the 2021 Cairdeas PX, and I might place Ardbeg Corryvreckan (2016 bottling) slightly ahead of this, but I think this deserves every bit of four and a quarter stars.

Nose: Briney, medicinal antiseptic (but not band-aids), caramel and little butterscotch, sour sweet fruits, smoke, peat, maybe a hint of lemon and a touch of cut green hay. Flavor: Starts with brine, sweet caramel, honey, and fruit. Overtaken quickly by a fruity, briney, smokey, peaty, and spicy note with sharp black pepper. On the back end is a more-ashy smoke, with peat, spice, black pepper. Body: Thick, oily, viscous, absolutely coating. Finish: Long and strong, like a sweet cigarette or sweet campfire smoke. Then strong spice, black pepper, ash, antiseptic. A sweet, fruity note returning at the end.

Aroma Band-Aid, Spalding rubber ball, distant fire. Dark toasted, but not burnt grains. Some sweetness around the edges. Salt sea air. Bright Brass in color Almost oily, with a menthol note that lays on the tongue. From time to time goes to mint. Some eucalyptus as well. I can't write this review without mentioning Cloraseptic Throat Spray. Nice toasted oak, licorice, menthol again, very herbaceous, salty. Hint of vanilla. Menthol lingers with black pepper with salt and oak below. Finish improves with a touch of water and the menthol, licorice notes expand with the camp fire getting closer to you. Some more cereal grains emerge. More floral and herbaceous and some ginger as it opens. Man, it's glorious. Almost as if you had smoked a light cigar. Much later grain and sweetness emerge as you become accustomed to the glass. I think I've arrived... Love it