Laphroaig tasting evening, Sydney, 26 September 18. Whiskey #3. Nose: An amplification of the nose on the 10 year old expression with added aromatic sawdust aromas and a hint of oily plastic and citrus zest. Woody and nutty aromas (walnuts, Brazil nuts) also appear after a while. Adding water broadens and softens the nose. [The dry glass aromas of the 10 year old and Quarter Cask are virtually identical]. Palate: A very smooth and quite sweet arrival with a more resinous quality than the 10 year old, but the profile is otherwise similar. A touch of smoke but there is cigarette ash and hot soot as well. Water unlocks more wood flavours and brings out a gingery/chilli salt note. There's also an agreeably crisp, dry briny citrus nature to this palate. Finish: Long. Sweet, smoky wood resin, very dry and slightly salty. Quarter Cask is a vatting of 5-11 year old Laphroaig distillate aged entirely in ex-bourbon casks, including a final 9 months in small "quarter" casks, also made from refashioned ex-bourbon casks. I’ve had several bottles of this over the last few years and it is batch-variable. There is a tendency for the quarter casks to take over and it needs the presence of fresh, grippy, and almost sour citrus notes from the distillate to balance the resinous wood of the finishing casks, particularly on the palate. It's a good whisky but it lacks the maturity of 10 year old, however it makes up for this with a more intense and vibrant personality. The two expressions are different sides of the same coin and I'm giving this one the same rating I gave the 10 year old. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)