Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1

Smoky and sweetness from the bourbon. Quite medicinal. The youth of the spirit certainly makes the character intense.

I held off on buying this one after early reviews suggested it was a little underwhelming. But recent reviews have been better, and i got impatient waiting for the 2023 to arrive. On the nose lemon vanilla cream, seashell, seaweed, iodine, peat smoke. The palate is briny, vanilla sugar, lemon drop candy, caramel, seaweed, pepper, medicinal peat. The finish is lemon vanilla smoke. It's distinctively Laphroaig. It's smoky, salty, it's sweet. What's not to like?

N: Exceptionally fragrant - fills the room within just a minute or so of pouring. Tar, pencil shavings, driftwood, seaweed, kelp, salt cakes, lighter stone fruit, some citrus (watered down lemon), new shoes in the box, vanilla cake. It keeps going. Tennis balls. P: Little bit of red fruit, oak, shredded sweet potato cakes with corn (fried), dried fish, dried seaweed, cooked almond, vanilla infused yellow cake, french vanilla ice cream. F: All the maritime notes plus decent heat, oak, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, chalky minerals, hints of tar and seaweed. Lives up to its branding: this really is a Laphroaig that grew up on the shoreline. It's unmistakable as the classic Laphroaig profile, but with a little more muscle and all kinds of sea notes that really work. I do think it's a bit blunt and lacks some finesse, but that seems unsurprising for an NAS single malt - there is definitely some younger juice in here. At times, that lack of polish is charming. Still, have to wonder what a straight up 10 or 12 year Warehouse 1 might taste like. Better still, I would guess. Maybe such a thing exists (or even older) - I'm not enough up on the full Laphroaig line to know. Please point me to it if you do. _______________________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord (now one whole year old!): https://discord.gg/4nfePCdyKM. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will gladly and usually quickly provide a new one. Lately, I have not been able to tag people who have asked for the link, so please check back when you can. Or, better still, look for a more recent review of mine which should have the most current link.)

Salty amazing smoke

Nose: Similar to the 10 year but dialed up a bunch due to the abv. A bit more brine presents as well. Palate: Peat smoke hits hard right away followed by layers of orchard fruits, honey, vanilla and salt. Drinks super smooth for the proof. Oily and viscous. Long smokey Laphroaig finish. For $90 this is a great buy, haven't had the CS to compare. Alot better than the standard 10 to me 9/10

Nose is briny, kippered herring comes to mind. Not as saline as Talisker, but it's noticeable, and adds a pleasant element to balance out the signature Laphroaig flavor. Salt and minerals are more present on the finish. Light bodied compared to other Laphroaigs. Guessing those who think this isn't "interesting enough" to be worthy of the Cairdeas line just want gimmicks - I haven't had a better Laphroig that didn't cost over $500/bottle.