Laphroaig 18 Year

This was sadly discontinued a few years ago. So when I saw this in a store while visiting a friend, I had to grab it. Especially because of the positive reviews I've read around here. But also because I knew I may never have another chance to try this. So let's get into it. Nose: Similarly to the new 16 year-old Lap, the peat is turned down here. Not quite to that degree though. Lots of brine, sea salt, and seaweed. A bit of campfire smoke and sulfur in the background. Iodine and band-aid, with a bit of tennis ball. Cream, toffee, and vanilla. Apple and pear, peach. Maybe apple pie? Orange and lemon citrus. Plenty of fruit to be sure. Interesting for Laphroaig. There's also some jammy sweetness. A bit of caramel, and as you'd imagine with 18 years in the barrel, plenty of oak. Great, great nose. Palate: The peat is much more pronounced here. Campfire smoke all day, heavily supported by sea salt, seaweed, and iodine, a bit of that tennis ball. Same as the nose, but all hits much harder, especially the smoke, reminiscent of younger bottlings. Orange, nectarine, tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon citrus. Walnut, chestnut, and salted almond. Salted caramel and soft pretzel. BBQ, brisket notes. Some apple mixed in there. Black pepper and oak spice. Vanilla, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and more jammy sweetness. Wow. I'm writing a damn novella to describe what I'm tasting. And it's all unbelievably good. Finish: All the chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and tart notes hit first. Then the smoke, salinity, and medicinal notes surface. Apple, pear, and orange pop up next. Finally, it shift from orchard fruit to black pepper and oak, and then one final wave of smoke and sea salt to round what makes for a long, drying finish. As is the customary of elite Islay whiskies, I feel like I've just spent a day at the beach. Superb finish. Another winner from Laphroaig. And from a generation gone by, at this point. It's the first Laphroaig I've seen with this style of bottle/packaging. And I'm incredibly grateful that I stumbled upon it despite being late to the party. This is a truly spectacular bottle, and I find the discontinuation of this line to be perplexing. This one has really developed since I first cracked it open. It felt restrained and a bit of flat compared to my expectations. A meticulously-aged beauty like this one deserves some time to oxidation and come into its own. That's the take away here; it's absolutely phenomenal juice. Remarkable from start to finish, but I'll point out that the palate is on another level. It's what makes this one a true masterpiece. Buy on sight, no questions asked.

Salt. Brine. Maritime smoke and a fervent, yet surprisingly tame peat. THE 18, a staple of Islay, and a damn fine whiskey. (KM) - 6/23/10

- 2010 Maltzman Mannor

The peat is not as strong, but love that iodine smell. Spicy, salty, and loving it.