Laphroaig Lore

Visual: Golden-Amber. Slow, evenly spaced legs. Nosing: Peat right off the bat; herbal. Has a scent of dirty smoke coming off a dampened log (not in a negative way). Deep vanilla and oak. Reminds me of a chilly, misty morning while camping, as the smoke from the embers of the previous night's fire hangs low on the campgrounds. Sweet fruit and burnt sugar. Tasting: pleasantly peaty, smoky, sweet, and smooth. Great body with long finish of burnt bacon bits. A bit salty too; light roasted cashew on the back end. Reduced Nosing: Tons of sweet, dried white raisins; subtle hints of black pepper; floral. Reduced Tasting: Vanilla and warming alcohol. With a bit of water, the Sherry notes really open up; fruity. A damn good dram. Very rich and complex. This whisky needs to be a permanent shelfer for me.

Nose is a maritime tool shed - brine, seaweed, oiled metal, weathered mossy wood and woodsmoke. Beautiful oily legs coat the glass with each twirl, taking minutes to complete the journey back to the bottom, but there is no climbing lace when left alone. Palate is obviously Laphroaig, but there's a touch of something extra, something not found in the 10 or the CS. It's almost as if you can tell that someone really cared about getting this one right, and that care transferred to the cask and then the bottle. Mouthfeel is rich and has heft, but is not quite oily. Dried hay, peat, cinnamon stick, peat, overripe apple, salty kelp, dark bitter chocolate, and then dark cherries and damp campfire smoke lingers for 20 seconds for a close. Easily quaffable, but also worthy of contemplative sipping. One of my favorite Laphroaig bottles, and a fine companion to the 10CS that I do so love.

Warm sip with smooth follow. Rich flavors and a solid feel. Nothing too strong, a very balanced taste and feel.

ReReview 48%, Non-chill Filtered with added colour Nose: salt, cedar wood, dark chocolate, ash, extinguished camp fire - sweet, resinous woods like spruce or pine, with a slight bit of dark honey. Palate: dry salted dark chocolate, ashy, cedar wood/bowes, sweet dark honey with a pepper chilli spice tingle, finishing with a lingering sweet smoke finish. I would still classify this as a “gentlemen’s Laphroaig” which I do very much enjoy. It has a thick and oily texture and just screams smoked salted dark chocolate that is a great way to end an evening with friends or a black tie affair. I mentioned earlier that in my market this bottle is quite expensive and that still remains true. Looking at other markets - namely the UK market, I would have no problem paying 65£ to buy this again, and will most likely look to import it personally. 220 CAD at the local government shop is a huge ask, considering exchange, shipping, import tax and retail mark up from the UK is 70-90 CAD less than my local price. Price gripe aside, this is still a favourite of mine from Laphroaig and I will continue to inject its presence in my rotation of 10 year cask strength and cairdeas releases - albeit sparingly. It would be worth noting that I have had this bottle open for the last 2 years and it has not suffered from Laphroaig’s tendencies to go flat in that time, still wonderfully smokey and rich stuff.