Laphroaig Four Oak

Pretty mellow and underwhelming

Nose: Strong peat smoke, medicinal notes, vanilla, caramel, subtle fruitiness, oak spice, and faint coconut. Palate: Full-bodied with upfront peat smoke, sweet vanilla and caramel, spicy virgin oak, and rich European oak tannins. Balanced with green apples and citrus. Finish: Long and warming, with lingering smoke, oak spices, and a touch of sweetness.

Light peat and minerality on the nose, and surprisingly hot for an 80 proof. Given the 4 different oak sources, the palate disappoints me. It's sweet, smoky, minerally, a hint of vanilla but kind of flat. The finish is short with some peat and mineral remaining. It's a fine whisky, just disappointing.

When your coworker says their father bought this bottle during his travels, took one sip, didn't like it, and then proceeds to offer you the rest of the bottle for free, you simply don't say no. Already liking Laphroaig to begin with, I'm excited to taste the development from the 4 different oaks used, and am wondering what there's not to like here. Knowing that this will still have classic Laphroaig notes of brine and peat, based on the packaging, I'm to expect buttery, creamy, sweet notes that come from the oak in addition to the base profile. As long as this is the case, we should be able to put this liter bottle to good use. The color is between straw and gold, but is ultimately very light and quite translucent. The nose, not surprisingly, leads with a salty, peaty brine that's familiar, but also introduces small notes of vanilla and stewed mixed berries. Not a whole lot of complexity or depth here, and is even a bit watery overall, but still embodies classic Laphroaig so far. The initial body is extremely light as far as ethanol or any burn is concerned, but the peat and some sea spray start to creep in over time. The malty character is both slightly sour and dry at the same time, and although there is some vanilla here somewhere, it's lost and struggles to bring any much needed sweetness. I keep going back with repeated sips, but the body just isn't where it needs to be, and there isn't enough added here to be expected from 4 different oak usages that are all supposed to have different flavor profiles. So, I can certainly see the disappointment in this, and wouldn't want to have to travel globally just to have a chance to buy it, but it sure as hell is good enough to be free. However, I find myself preferring Laphroaig 10 year over this variant, enough to the point that if both were on the shelf, I can't think of a reason I would reach for this one. Still, it has a nice peated body and can get the job done if you wanted that smoky flavor without it sticking to you quite as much as some stronger variants. The packaging suggests using water or ice to bring out a "smooth buttercream flavour and tangy, liquorice finish," and although this sounds exciting, my expectations will remain low throughout.