ctbeck11
Laphroaig 16 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
March 24, 2021 (edited September 26, 2022)
Nose - earthy peat, sparkling apple cider, pear, bright red fruit, iodine, brine, honey, marshmallow, rubber, menthol, sunscreen, sweet floral notes, cocoa, tar, ash, mint, caramel, vanilla, dry vegetal notes, resinous oak, black pepper, moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - spicy peat, creamy vanilla, toffee, iodine, brine, chocolate, honey, tar, rubber, marshmallow, mint, lemon zest, black pepper, menthol, tar, caramelized apple and pear, moderate alcohol bite, finishing long with resinous peat, citric fruit, menthol, and tar flavors.
We’re onto day two of testing my wife’s nerves with the beautiful aroma of Laphroaig wafting through the air. And how beautiful it is. It’s certainly a more complex nose than I’ve experienced on a Laphroaig. Additional time in the barrel has mellowed the peat and rubber, and really nice bright, sparkling fruit notes appear along with some spicy menthol and marshmallow. The palate arrives with the classic Laphroaig flavors, albeit much less violent than normal, but quickly gives way to chocolate, caramelized fruits, and a citrusy zing.
Overall, this is great. Also, I appreciate that they’ve bottled this at 48%. The flavors are denser and more well developed, and it doesn’t seem overly diluted, as the standard 10 year did to me. Purists may find this lacking, as the gut punch you expect from Laphroaig is missing, but I think it’s really well done. I never thought I’d refer to a Laphroaig as elegant, but here we are. At $90 near me, it’s priced slightly less than Lagavulin 16 and I like this slightly less, but not by too much. Nonetheless, if you like Laphroaig, this is one worth grabbing at the right price.
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@MunsuLight Yep, I wouldn’t recommend spending any more than about $90 on this one. Around the same price or less, you can usually find the 10 Year Cask Strength or various Càirdeas releases, which are a bit more interesting.
I remember drinking this in a Irish bar a long time ago and absolutely loving it (even though it was one of my first whiskey ever). I still need to get a bottle ,but they are so damn pricey and rare where i live
@Whiskey_Hound Thank you! I really enjoy reading yours as well. Hoping to get back into posting reviews soon.
You've really done this one justice. Awesome review.
@ContemplativeFox Haha you win some you lose some I guess. Not really sure if I should blame real market forces for the disparity across states or just plain call BS on the whole whiskey supply chain? Either way, we all want some parity and price predictability...I think.
@ContemplativeFox Thanks! It seems like the distribution wasn’t great. For some reason, Virginia received a bunch of them.
I'm pretty jealous @Anthology. The cheapest I've seen Lag 16 lately was $85 I think
I've yet to see this around. Thanks for reviewing!
@Anthology Thank you! And yes, this is definitely not $140 whiskey. Take that money and buy a Springbank 15 or Hazelburn 13. They’re around that price and in a completely different league.
@Scott_E Thanks! I think it’s worth the price at $90, but any more than that and there are better options available.
Nice review. It’s interesting that this is $90 near you but is $140 in my neck of the woods. So far, I’ve resisted the urge to pick one up at that price. On the other hand, I can find Lagavulin 16Yr for $70 all days at the Costco’s near me. 🤔
Nice review. I saw this locally (forget the price) but was wondering if it’s worthy of a hard-earned dollar.