Laphroaig Càirdeas 2020 Port & Wine Casks

I like this a lot. Does not compare to the 2013 Port Wood Cairdeas, but is superior to the Brodir and the international traveler Port Wood that I found in Germany in January just before Covid shut down all my travels. The color is beautiful, the nose is amazing, and the taste is very good.

Tastes like a breakfast of waffles with butter and maple syrup poured over the top with bacon. Sweet, salty, and definitely Smokey Laphroaig throughout

Very sweet on the nose. The port is noticeable on the tongue right away. Not a fan of a peaty Scotch being paired with the sweetness of a Port cask. Glad I tried it, wouldn’t buy again.

smokey fruit nose, bright, port on finish

Nose – Great peat and smoke, raspberries, strawberries, barbecue, medium spices/florals, meaty and savory notes for balance. Palate – TCP/iodine, caramel, toffee, more berries, peat/smoke, heavy mouth coat, dark chocolate, vanilla, creosote. Not much port influence if you compare to Brodir, or Port 2013 Cairdeas. Red wine influence is here. Finish – Nice waxiness, brininess, white pepper, black pepper, black cherries but a tad short. Water – N – Brings out the medium red fruits more, along with haw/straw, and light florals, but lose peat/smoke. P – More spicy white/black pepper, sweeter with more caramel/confection sugar. F – Finishes with more bourbon influence. Brings out more dark chocolate with medium florals but very dry. Agree with @LeeEvolved not as good as Port 2013 Cairdeas, or batch one/two of Brodir! Feels like something is missing somewhere – 3.75 of 5.

Another great Cairdeas. The casks add just the right top notes to the Laphroaig profile without overpowering the spirit. The nose starts with faint berry notes, but they’re smothered by the meaty smoke before they dominate. A luscious oily texture captivates on first sip, before the whisky transitions to an appealing combination of sweet and sour flavors. The finish is mostly smoky with an aftertaste of grapefruit. I like the balance of the flavors and am relieved that it doesn’t approach anything nearing the sweet end of the spectrum. I was going to skip this year’s release given the big cost increase, but an acquaintance found a bottle at a price that made joining a split an easy decision.