Laphroaig Càirdeas 2021 Pedro Ximenez Casks

Comparison with the 10 year old sherry finish TL;DR: They are very similar. No distinct difference in the general notes, but they are different in how they present. Nose: Burnt bacon, vanilla, cinnamon, light lemon and faint malt. Figs, raisins, and dates. The nose is definitely the more "laphroaig" nose. The classic characteristics of the 10 show up here strongly as well with the addition of the sherry scents. The 10 year old sherry is far more sweet, with the sweet cherry, date, and fig note overwhelming the base spirit. The 10 sherry is more also far more floral. Taste: Classic laphroaig of burnt bacon, rubber, and iodine. The rubber and iodine notes are extended longer into the finish. Light lemony malt and vanilla towards the finish with a slight hint of very sweetened cherries and dates with the honey floral sweetness to end things off. I would recommend the cairdeas more only because its cask strength and therefore lets you play with the proof a bit more.

Way less heat than the 19. Super smooth. Sooo good

Direct Review. Will do another as a comparison with the standard sherry release. Also have to say this is the most syrupy whiskey I've ever had. Nose: Laphroaig peat but its strength has been cut in half by bright cherry candy. Peaches and sharp lemon. Light caramel. Chocolate covered raisins. Extremely faint hint of tobacco. Peat takes over more as it sits. Taste: Laphroaig peat is taken over by intense stewed cherries, raisin, and chocolate ganache. Light lemon, herbal notes, dry tobacco and hay linger on the finish. Water tames it down but removes almost all the sherry notes except for a finish of cherry, raisin and tobacco. This is interesting as it presents oddly as a finished whiskey. The finishing doesn't intermingle on the taste, but is more like you sipped normal Laphroaig for a second, spit it out, sipped some fortified wine, then finished with a sip of Laphroaig. The high proof carries this one for sure.

Barbequed meat, stone fruits, smoldering campfire, iodine, with a touch of mint. Cherry, red currant, honeydew, blood orange, and maserated figs. Cinnamon, dark chocolate covered cherries, and a little coffee in the finish. Delicious!

This cask strength version of the duty free favorite comprises whisky aged for between five and seven years in ex-bourbon casks, followed by six months in quarter casks and then a final two years in European oak. I presume those final casks are PX-seasoned rather than commercial bodega castoffs, but I’m just guessing. Either way, the original travel retail bottling ranked as one of my favorite Laphroaigs when I bought a bottle several years ago, so a cask strength version should be a treat. It’s unexpectedly approachable at the higher strength, the most obvious difference of the amped-up ABV being an increased viscosity rather than any painful alcohol burn. The nose is a delightful mix of coffee, dark chocolate, smouldering fire wood, plum jam and Syrup of Figs. Unfortunately the palate is much tighter, a flatter version of the nose. If the nose was music played through great headphones with an expansive sound stage, the palate is the same song heard on your iPhone’s speaker. There’s a full-throated blast of Seville oranges and fig jam and the finish is a bitter dark chocolate, but I found it hard to pick out other flavors from my small sample. I suspect this needs a drop of water to perform at its best, so I’ll defer a rating pending another opportunity to taste. Not that anyone should care what I think - this year’s Cairdeas is sure to please fans and fly off the shelves.

Very nice peat and Sherry balance. Nose: Raisins, Raspberries, Figs, Smoke, Eucyptalus, Coal, Iodine, Melons, Papayas, Pineapples, Barbecue Pork Ribs, Cherries, Apricots, Peaches Palate: Raisins, Figs, Red Apples, Eucyptalus, Dates, Pears, Kiwis, Morello Cherries, Peaches Finish: Raisins, Cherries, Figs, Green Apples, Eucyptalus, Nutmeg, Cinnamon