Laphroaig An Cuan Mór

flink rokerig, complex

Nose: Fragrant smoke, a tinge of orange and dark honey, some trademark iodine with a whiff of wintergreen. Palate: A woody arrival with a mild nutty flavour like water chestnut. There is a creamy, sweet, oily, chocolatey, tangy development but it faded too quickly for my liking. There is some spicy salt and a revival of the orange/honey sweetness from the nose late in the development, but unfortunately it turned a fraction sour towards the finish. Finish: Medium/long. Oak tannin and spice, tobacco. Woody overall but with a worrying metallic tinge to the aftertaste. This is a good whisky that presents as a bigger brother to both the 10 year old and Quarter Cask expressions, but it is more interesting than either. It has good weight and texture with more heft and presence than the 10 year old, due in no small part to the much higher abv, but it is surprisingly similar in style. It has more class and complexity than the Quarter Cask with better balance and no sign of the resinous note in that expression that I don’t particularly like. This would be my clear choice between these three whiskies were it not for the price, which in my opinion is too high to be justifiable for a NAS whisky that is mainly composed from young casks. I tasted this from a 30ml sampler and although I did enjoy it I don't think I'd ever buy a whole bottle. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

Sept'17 - RM300 (Tax Free - Tioman)