LeeEvolved
Laphroaig Brodir
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
April 22, 2018 (edited October 21, 2024)
This is Laphroaig’s attempt to take their port wine finishing up to another level. It’s a travel retail exclusive that’s actually on its second batch run. The first run was back in 2012 and was a precursor to their excellent 2013 Cairdeas release, that has become a mythical, lengendary drop over the last couple of years. In an attempt to recapture that magic, Laphroaig re-released this bottle in hopes of a return to glory. The problem is that this one falls significantly short.
It’s bottled at 48%, is non-chill filtered and has no added color. The color is actually quite striking: orange/amber. It appears oily while leaving lots of droplets around the upper edge when you spin it in your Glencairn. There are very few legs that form, as well.
The nose is sweet port wine, light grapes and honey with a pretty restrained smoke level. There’s little to no wood or alcohol notes present, even after 20-25 minutes.
The palate is similar: Light vine fruits with hints of smoke, but it is juicier than most Laphroaig’s I’ve had to this point. It’s not so much oily as it is watery. You can tell there’s young malt at play here, but the port flavors keep the harshness at bay. The overall mouthfeel ends up feeling a little thin. The 2013 Cairdeas Port didn’t suffer from these issues, neither did batch 1 of this Brodir from what I’ve heard. Unfortunately, batch 1 bottles are even harder to find than the Cairdeas version.
The finish continues the theme of restraint. Lower smoke levels than you’ll be accustomed to from The Frog, but it is really fruity with a medium length, lingering sweet finale.
Overall, I was hoping for the best and wishing it was a suitable replacement for the 2013 Cairdeas, but it comes up short- especially at the price point of $107 a bottle. If you’ve had the good fortune to try the 2013 Cairdeas, and marveled at its brilliance, then you’ll see that this one is more of a tease than the real deal. It’s still highly drinkable, but I’m still looking for that elusive Cairdeas. 3.75-4 stars for the Brodir. Cheers.
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@Rlechner I think @LeeEvolved and @Generously_Paul are right...seems like a TRE only. I’d also think , just gut reaction, it won’t be as good as the Cairdeas PortWood. If you open it and try it, I’d be curious to know your thoughts on it
@Rlechner - well, it appears that is a new, travel retail exclusive- possibly to European airport duty free shops (maybe even only German airport shops). I’m not sure why they didn’t just relaunch Brodir, as Batch 3, but that bottle is probably pretty limited. Same bottling strength as the Brodir, but I’d be interested in how it compares to those. Please pen a review if/when you decide to open it. Cheers.
@Rlechner looks like this is a new travel retail exclusive released in 2019. This is the first I've heard of it so obviously I haven;t had the chance to try it. My expectations would be that it would fall short of the Cairdeas release, but still be very tasty.
@LeeEvolved @PBMichiganWolverine @Generously_Paul @Dreaming-of-Islay - I follow your reviews and appreciate all your insights. I have had the Cairdeas 2013, the PX Cask, and Brodir and liked them all (in that order). My wife just came back from Frankfurt and picked me up a bottle of Laphroaig Port Wood in duty free there. I’ve never seen or heard of it and was wondering if you all have. I haven’t cracked it open, so don’t know yet how it compares. Here is a link to the Frankfurt Duty Free site (which also sells Brodir so its not simply a relabeling of that): https://shop.frankfurt-airport.com/en/laphroaig-port-wood-48-0-7l.html Thanks!
@LeeEvolved @Richard-ModernDrinking. Yeah...I have both. One day, I’ll get to them. Along with the other 450 bottles.
@PBMichiganWolverine @Richard-ModernDrinking - there are 2 different releases: one is a 2004 13yo, PX cask finished and the other is the 2017 Feis Isle release called 2004 Moine Port Pipe Finished. The Moine is their peated line, but that PX cask one is unpeated- I have a bottle of this one. I want to try the Moine one.
@Richard-ModernDrinking @LeeEvolved. I have no idea..I simply grabbed it as soon as I saw the price tag. I’ll send you guys a pic this weekend...I have no idea what release it is
@LeeEvolved The Bunna was my pick of the Festival releases I tried last year. Very good. @PBMichiganWolverine is it really the festival release? Surely something less limited.
@LeeEvolved. I’ll check. They had two —the Brandy cask and the PX. I only got the PX. But I’ll see if they have more.
@PBMichiganWolverine - seriously? Do they have any more in stock, lol?
@LeeEvolved dude no...that’s highway robbery. I got that for $50 bucks at Shoprite .
@PBMichiganWolverine @cascode - it really is odd that no other Islay distillery has nailed down a really good Port Cask Aged/Finished semi-regular bottling at this point. Or maybe the handful of us are the only ones that actually like this variation? Lol I found a bottle of the Bunnahabhain Feis Isle Port Finished Moine (peated, 13yo) online and I think it may be a surprise hit, but they want $230, plus U.K. shipping for me to find out...
@cascode. The Portwood Cairdeas was a stunner. I’d say that is easily in the top spot, followed by a distant Brodir (!which is really a pre-cursor to the Cairdeas), then PX. Too late now to buy a Cairdeas, but there’s a Kilchoman Portwood coming up soon...I’m really hoping that mimics the Cairdeas
@PBMichiganWolverine How would you compare the Cairdeas and Brodir expressions against PX as VFM? Superior? Same? Different?
@LeeEvolved I’ve tried all three—-the port Cairdeas, this batch 1 and batch 2. The Cairdeas one is by far the best, followed by the batch 1. Batch 2 I thought fell dismally short