Jan-Case
Laphroaig PX Cask
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
February 9, 2021 (edited January 27, 2023)
I was looking for a bottle of Laphroaig for a while, since it was one of the first whiskies I had, but I couldn’t decide on one. I liked the Brodir but not enough to get a bottle myself. I heard the glorifications of the Cairdeas Port Wood but that one is impossible to get now. So I impulsively went for this one as a final pick from a (these days) rare visits at my local whisky store.
The nose screams Laphroaig from all directions but very deep at the base is a dark juicy rich syrupy sherry layer that protrudes through it like a beskar spear. Around is the iodine and brine like on a cold Islay day after a storm. Just as wild and raw.
On the palate Islay peat with salt, old wet wood and sour grapes. Then after the cold ash, the PX makes its way through and covers the whole mouth with delicious sherry notes that swing back and forth against the raw fire smoke and steamy charcoal.
What an exiting whisky. It isn’t as deep and rich as I hoped it would be but if you give it time it is hard to find anything else that you don’t like. It is raw, wild, untamed, interesting, strong, characteristic, honest, a little playful and very Islay.
83.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@CKarmios TRE is a funny area, and a bit "grey". We have one major liquor shop in Australia that seems to be able to obtain a lot of otherwise TRE-only bottlings all the time. It's a long established company and I can only guess that have some sort of license agreement to take overstock items.
@Jan-Case ouch...that’s a painful price. I didn’t realize it’s now that expensive...I figured maybe 200
Great notes; bonus 👏 for the Mandalorian reference. @cascode I’m seeing so many TREs available to buy online now - the COVID effect.
@PBMichiganWolverine I found it on whiskybase for 350 € ;)
The Port wood Cairdeas was probably the 2nd best Laphroaig I’ve ever had—-even if you find it secondary in auction, it’s a worthy purchase
@cascode yeah I was reading that it is TRE - that’s why I was surprised to find it in my local whisky shop. It also comes in that TRE 1 liter size too. It is great VFP for sure.
@Jan-Case Complete agreement with your precise tasting notes 👍. This is a good but overlooked whisky. Not great, but close to great. It's only available TRE over here but when I used to travel more I'd generally grab a bottle duty free.
this definitely sounds like a peated treat. great notes.