LeeEvolved
Reviewed
August 17, 2017 (edited January 18, 2020)
I'm taking the time to re-review Laphroaig Quarter Cask from my initial, short-worded/short-sighted review back in April of 2016. I was relatively new to scotch whisky back then and it seemed like I was quickly blown away each time I tried something new from that little wind-swept isle off of the west coast of Scotland. I'm redoing this review primarily because I wanted to revisit this whisky along side it's newest sibling- the 2017 Cairdeas release. That is the cask strength version of Quarter Cask.
First, a little bit of info about the regular Quarter Cask: it's blended DOWN to 48%, it's non-chill filtered with no added color and consists of whisky that is 5-7 years old that is finished in smaller oak casks for an additional 7 months before bottling.
On the nose, there's wonderful notes of fresh cut barley, smoldering embers coated with dried BBQ sauce, hickory smoke and an incredible buttery sweetness that cuts right through all that smoke. It's luscious.
The initial sip overloads your mouth with sweet and smoky fish. The oily skin crackling in the heat bites down on your tongue with that signature Laphroaig saltiness before relenting and washing away with a creamy, biscuity smoothness that will ultimately leave you wanting more.
The finish is smooth, velvety smooth in fact. It's medium in length and the fading heat and smoke brings to mind being downwind of your neighbors chimney on a cool, early winter evening. A long, deep exhale really pushes everything from your chest and lungs and gives you one final, warm hug. I can only imagine John Campbell whispering in my ear "Thanks for coming, go home and tell your friends what you've experienced here, laddie." Yes, it's that good. 4.5, maybe 4.75 stars. Cheers, my friends.