Laphroaig Càirdeas 2016 Madeira Cask

If you've already read some of my other reviews, you can tell I am a big fan of Ardbeg and Lagavulin. Now, this surprise dram is the one that brings me right back around to considering Laphroaig in my top two, or three. This glass I've heard is quite a divider, especially newer expressions. I've noticed that some are not able to get into the Madeira cask notes here, but I not only get it nicely on the nose, I get it in the palate as well, combined with the lovely peat smack in the face I want from this distillery. I *think* that the key to enjoying this one at its full potential is to LEAVE IT NEAT!! Even at 51.6% ABV, it's a perfect taste without any help. If I am in the mood for a little wine AND that trademark Laphroaig coastal briny mouthful, this is the one I am popping open. Thanks for the sample Dreaming of Islay!

This is a fun entry from Laphroaig. Upon the first nose, you sense how deep and rich the dram will be. There's wood, dried fruits, vanilla, pecan and even a buttery caramel lurking. This is a Laphroaig after all, so smoke is there too, but compared to your standard 10 year, it's mild and provides room for all the aforementioned notes to shine through. On the tongue, a lovely and welcomed sweetness, accentuated by heat and warmth as it hits the back of your throat. The length of time this one stays with you is staggering and acts as a reminder that this isn't your standard Laphroaig. Here's to a hearty scotch that doesn't let you down while toying with some unique and interesting elements. (FWF share #30)

I'm torn on rating this scotch, because I certainly enjoyed it, and because of the abiding loyalty I have for most Laphroaig expressions. It may be disappointing only relative to other Laphroaigs, and I wonder whether it's fair to penalize it for such high expectations. The standout feature of this scotch to me is a letdown at the palate. The nose is pretty interesting, with a strong dose of Laphroaig smoke, rounded out and softened by some truly unusual scents like vegetable peppers, tomatoes (I swear, I got a hint of them!), and rose wine. There's a bit of ethanol or acetone at times, which may just be the higher proof, but also makes me suspect this is younger by a few years than Cairdeas 2015 (which was a delight, and roughly 12 years old). The palate is shockingly nondescript. Perhaps I just can't pick out the subtle flavors in it, but it strikes me as a nondescript sweetness, perhaps watermelon, and then an ashier rendition of the smoke on the nose. The finish is intriguing, a bit hot, but good: smoke, some of the same notes as the nose, tobacco, and coffee. I did not particularly like the first dram I had, but I enjoyed this more when revisiting it. Nonetheless, the flat and simple palate caps its rating at a 3.5 or so for me.

I’ve had a few tastings of this, so I think I can confidently state my opinions. To be honest the most appealing aspect of this scotch is the darkish, reddish color of the liquid in the bottle. It is much richer in hue than the 2015 Cairdeas by far. On the nose I get fresh clean salt water, with a touch of orange scented perfume. The palate is where things start to get a little challenging. Without watering it down it is POWERFUL! There is an intense black pepper burn that settles down to allow hints of lemon and orange take the stage. As those flavors subside, there is a sensation of heavy bitter oakiness, and peat smoke. The finish is long, slow, peppery, and leaves behind medicinal charcoal notes. With a few drops of water the nose mellows out and brings forth more of that BBQ scent with a touch of marshmallow. The dram becomes sweeter and creamier, but still that damn charcoal. I would like to enjoy this more than I do, but I just can’t escape the feeling that I’m sucking on flavored charcoal. I had high expectations, but perhaps I will just grab another bottle of the 2015 instead if I can.

Smoked chili peppers

The Bottle: Fairly standard Laphroaig fare. For this Cairdeas expression(and likely others) they have forgone the traditional green glass in favor of clear, letting you get a good look at the spirit inside. The spirit itself has some bronze overtones to it, which play nicely against the red portions of the label specific to this Madeira release. All-in-all, no real surprises here. In the Glass: Burnished bronze. With a few drops of water, which you will need seeing as how this is cask strength at 51.6% ABV, a nice Scottish Mist begins to develop. On the Nose: There's the traditional medicinal, peaty hit that is associated with the standard 10 year old; but it's wrapped up in what reads as a fruit compote. There is a very strong marine backdrop to this... harbors, sea salt, crusty sailors and smoked kippers. It reads very much like a seaside fruit-stand that specializes in smoked marmalade. For those of you Laphroaig fans who appreciate that TCP hit, there's nothing here to be mad at :) Taste: Assertive. Medicinal. Fruity. Peat. This one attacks your palate as if you had somehow insulted it's mother. Water is definitely required to tame this down to a level where the nuance comes out. There's the whole Laphroaig peaty thing that we all know and love; but the madeira maturation really does start to shine after the glass has about 10 minutes to open up. It almost starts to get into Longrow Red territory, but this is more "minerals and medicine" if you catch my drift. The finish is dominated by sweet marine notes and sea stones. Less Talisker, more Spanish merchant ship. My guess is that it's a little less than 10 years old, given that it's a NAS; but it doesn't seem to suffer from it. That second maturation in madeira really does fill in any of the gaps in flavor that would be left behind from shortened maturation time frame. For fans of Laphroaig, this does not disappoint. Another in a great range of specialized maturation releases from the Cairdeas line. (Laphroaig, if you're taking suggestions, I'd love to see a Calvados finished one!)

Once the hospital smell dissipates, the nose is pleasant. Some fruit, smoke. Unfortunately for me, the iodine returns on the palate. Some sweetness up front in a way that is unusual for a peated whisky. Silky feel. 6/16/17