Laphroaig 15 Year Old 2004 (Release No.11693) - The Stories of Wind & Wave (The Character of Islay Whisky Company)

Next up in my Laphroaig series, is a sample of an IB 15-year by The Character of Islay from 2004 and release #11693 that was bottled at 50.2% abv. The nose is subtle starting with a mix of smoked salmon, grilled pineapple, honeycomb and leather-bound books then lemon macaroons, cocoa powder dusted almonds and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by caramelized mangos, mandarin orange zest and sour cherries that transitions to mild baking spices, asphalt and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy yet slightly sour tropical fruits before a moderate spice that quickly fades to spicy mocha, smoked brisket and leather-bound books then almond croissant, honeysuckle, mild ocean brine and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by caramelized mangos, peaches and lemon zest that transitions to mild baking spices, asphalt and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length, starting with sweet and sour caramelized tropical fruits that fade to the background of light smoky meats, pipe tobacco, mild ocean brine, asphalt, leather-bound books and mildly bitter black tea. Overall, this is a really wonderful single cask that the peat has mellowed with age and the fruits have softened into creamy yet sour tropical fruits that work well in balance throughout the experience but still leans sourer than I prefer with a moderate spice and I would have liked the flavors to be a bit bolder with a longer finish. At a price of $300+, this is an absolute hard pass on that bonkers price tag, as I find the Lore slightly edges it out for half the cost. Ratings for the series so far: 10-year cask strength batch 11- 3.75 10-year sherry oak finish- 4.0 Lore- 4.0 2019 Caidreas Triple Wood- 3.75 2020 Caidreas Port and Wine - 3.75 2021 Caidreas PX - 4.0 15-year 200 Anniversary- 4.5 16-year- 4.0 TWB “It’s been a long way” 15-year IB- 3.25 15-year by The Character of Islay Release #11693- 4.0