Laphroaig 7 Year, Reserve Casks, Single Malts of Scotland

The final pour, ~16 months later. This was a fantastic bottle, with very aggressive and unique character. Originally popped it open with a friend about a week before he moved across the country. The end of an era here. All good things (and bottles of scotch) eventually come to an end, this is a good reminder to enjoy the friendships, moments, and drams you have with you today, they may be gone tomorrow. Enjoying this as the weather begins turning and rain has returned to the PNW. A beautiful dreary day. Nose: there is a pungent peat reek, moss covered dead oak that's been left out in the woods and soaked from a recent rainstorm. Forest floor. Creosote, ash, salty marine air. Vanilla custard, brown sugar. Beach bonfire. Palate: the first hit on the palate is full of tannic oak, aggressive phenolic peat and smoke. Its definitely taken a bit of a hit on the complexity factor since this bottle was opened, but still a gem. Still lovingly abrasive. Strong salinity on the mid palate. Theres some sweet malt and some vanilla here too. A toasty oak as well bringing some light cinnamon and ginger? No question about it the peat notes rule here. Medicinal. Relatively rich. Finish: peat phenols linger, notions of a wet moss campfire thats dying down and smoking out. Warming tannic oak.

Nose: phenolic, oily, aggressive. Creosote. Pungent peat. Some vanilla shows up. Dank, wet, seawater soaked wood, like how I'd imagine the lower deck of an old wooden tall ship to smell. Theres a cool summer evening campfire at the beach here too. Salt air. Palate: bold, sharp peat that opens into some toasted oak, caramel and vanilla. Woody and oily. I might be off but feel like this has gotten a bit thinner/less complex, probably time to expedite the last bit of this wonderful bottle. Strong salinity, there's almost a hint of seaweed. Finish: peat phenols and oak tannin, very slight baking spice.

Nose: phenloic peat and some moderate smoke. Creosote. Salt Air and a substantial malt note. There's some cinnamon, and salt water drenched oak. As it opens up there is a prominently bright vanilla cream/custard, almost a crême brulee note Palate: peat phenols hit hard, there's leather, rubber, creosote, Ash. There's a strong salinity, robust earthiness, malt sweetness initially comes out as it transitions to the finish but is more noticeable through as your palate acclimates. A moderate oak. Slight caramel and burnt sugar. Finish: seaweed, slight oak spice. Tongue coating and drying tannins. Resolves to an earthy and ashy note

Nose: still a strong, oily, phenolic peat but it has become slightly muted as this bottle has sat. Definitely peatier and smokier than the 10 which i am A-B'ing here. Smoke, vanilla, slightly herbaceous but in a decomposing way. Lightly earthy, Sharp. The slightest hint of lemon peel. After having a few sips, a sweeter note comes out slightly, the slightest hint of honeyed malt. The 10 in comparison has almost a plastic/Play-Doh note Palate: massive, pungent, oily peat hits big initially paired with a strong robust smoke. Gives way to a tarry flavor and thick mouth feel. A hint of honey, slight malty sweetness as it transitions to the finish. Theres certainly some seaweed/salnity here too. The 10 presents much sweeter than this with more prominent cereal/malt and vanilla flavors. Finish: oily, lengthy, strong peat fire ash. Phenolic. Mild to moderate oak tannin. The 10 gets more rubber on the finish. ------ Having a dilemma on whether to kill this quickly as its sat open at about 60% for about a year and the uniquely massive and oily peat is starting to wane a bit. Should I go for it and treat it with a little less reverence?

Nose: Young, potent, initially heavy on dank peat phenols, rubber, iodine and moderate smoke. As you acclimate, bright vanilla, honey, and some oakiness come through. Maybe even some floral and red apple. Possibly some grapefruit peel. Palate: initially heavy and strong on the peat. Brine shows up at the front. This is a dank, oily, wet, peaty dram. Opens a bit to some bitterness and dusty/musty malt. As you acclimate theres a hint of chocolate. The smoke comes out here too complimenting the peaty punch. Mild citrus and honey here potentially too. Oaky tannins come out as it transitions to the finish and also the seawater brininess. Finish: some malt chewiness, peat phenols, oaky tannin, a little tongue numbing. Dry.

Very similar price to Laphroaig 10 Cask Strengh, but tastes different than any Laphroaig I've ever tasted . Strong charred oak on the nose, burnt caramel and roasted nuts, maybe some BBQ bacon. However, what sets this whiskey apart from others from this distillery is the taste. Lots of vegetable and herbal notes, rosemary, sage, thyme, pepper, sweeter notes underneath, maybe some licorice. Finally the smoke appears at the medium length finish. At this price, the 10CS is a more interesting whiskey, but the fact that this is exclusive to the US and only 3 casks were bottled makes it definitely more special.

Nose: peat, some tiny floral notes, baked apples with cinnamon. Palate: robust, chewy, caramel, a hint of heat. Nice medicinal peat notes. A nice bit of sweetness. A little bit of oak. Hint of fruitiness. Oily but not as oily as i remember it being. Finish: lingering, a little rubbery and phenolic.

Nose: sharper, more aggressive nose than I remember the 10 being, much stronger peat phenols, smells incredibly oily. Salty, slightly metallic/copper but not in a bad way. Medicinal. Palate: full of energy. Strong vegetal peat notes that blend into a smokiness, the peat feels more intense than in the 10. A bit Earthy. There is some mild caramel, brown sugar, and malt sweetness, but definitely sits back a bit. Finish: peat phenols and a hint of sugar. Some malt chewiness and some rubber.