Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1

Nose: Pale wheat. Nose: Gasoline and a nose full of seawater. Pungent kelp drying on the beach. Drenched chacoal. Palate: Dynamic combination of banana, honey, and vanilla with velvety peat smoke. But rich and malty at core. Finish: Overcooked popcorn with plenty of salt. Lingering wisps of peat smoke. Diluted: Nose is richer and sweeter, palate is crispy burnt ends and pork fat. The finish is sublime, with horseradish and manuka honey in equal measure.

Nose: Vanilla, lemon cookie, malt, hints of musty wharehouse, peat, seashore, iodine and baking spices. Reserved, but really enjoyable. Palate: Somewhat oily and rich with vanilla, malt, baking spices, very light peat and salt. Straight forward, but well done. Finish: Long with smoldering ash, heat and smoke. My mouth feels like a tiny furnace.

Nose: Peat, nutty, medicinal Palate: Medicinal notes, ash, burnt toffee Finish: Oak spice, white pepper This has a bit of an unusual taste and I’d probably enjoy it more if it was slightly sweeter 6.5/10

I’m not sure if it was this cairdeas or a different one but I liked it!

Nose is typical Laphroaig. Palate is more oaky than the 10 year, perhaps a bit less medicinal and more herbal/vegetal peat. Finish is a bit short. Overall it’s good but not great.

Delicious, but almost too much of a salty briny finish. Far more than even talisker. I’m glad I got a bottle and it’s definitely a very interesting laphroaig.

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1 is inviting, adventurous, and does indeed reflect the environment it was birthed out of. I'm immediately mesmerized with the color - it's a luscious white-gold, straw-like and subtle. It's feminine and rich while balancing a pearlescent and soft glow. It almost fools you into thinking this particular dram won't house the standard characteristics of Laphroaig, but you'd be mistaken. This one took me a while to get aquatinted with. The nose is initially a bit harsh, but airing things out a bit goes a long way. After a few minutes, I found vanilla and white chocolate sprinkled about almonds and hay. Taking things a bit further, there was a citrus note, a creamy lemon meringue along side baking spices and gram cracker. Oddly, I also found root vegetables, like carrot and beet, bringing the dram back down to earth, quite literally. A drop release a hint of Fuji apple, wet leaves, and Wilshire pipe tobacco. For this being ages so close to the sea, it's not overtly briny or peaty. Those elements are there, yes, but they don't play first seat. They anchor the Scotch, helping to support all the other key players. As a Laphroaig fan, it's impossible for me not to love this entry. This Scotch is bright and flirtatious, and feels like it shares the elegance of a bride, but a bride willing to jump into the ocean with her gown on. In other words, it's the type of adventure most people are looking for. The palate is lively at first, then seems more like a caress. This Scotch is earthy, dry, and salty. The lemon seems to cut through a bit more here, showcasing dried salted nuts, grass, baking flour/pizza crust, with hint of apricot and nectarine. I got a bit of black pepper, papaya, and tropical dried fruits. Again, waiting a minute or two unearths new tones like moss, grass, aged wood and wet soil. This all culminates in a dry and warm finish. This is anything but fleeting, but it doesn't overstay it's welcome. The back of tongue seems to dance for a bit, salivating to alleviate some of the dryness. One is then left with a less than subtle heat in the chest and throat. It's more a hug than abrasive. Hell, it kind of feels like love. I've had other Càirdeas expressions and while great, if I'm being honest, they are the difference between a great meal while dining out, and a great home cooked meal. This expression feels like being around a table, surrounded by loved ones, laughing, telling stories, and leaving that place with a spirit fuller than you ever thought possible. This is, quite frankly, the best things in life we all hope for, wrapped up in a Scotch package. Well done, Laphroaig!