cascode
Laphroaig Brodir
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
October 17, 2018 (edited October 21, 2024)
Laphroaig tasting evening, Sydney, 26 September 2018. Whiskey #6.
Nose: Rose and honey. Raisins simmered in port and brandy - a hefty and full aroma. Strong port wine, almost like port wine jelly. The smoke takes a back seat, but it’s there all right, as is a hint of the trademark Laphroaig iodine, but it’s occluded. There is a deep musky note tinged with oak sitting behind everything.
Palate: Velvety smooth arrival. Raisins and smoke in abundance, strawberry compote, blackberry jam, orange syrup, rancio. A rather thick texture, but not oily. It’s flavourful but on the braggadocio side and heavy-handed.
Finish: Medium. The smoke persists in the finish.
It’s a boldly sweet nose and the port finish obscures the smoke at first. Peat-reek is present, however, as a powerful foundation and once it starts to unfold it keeps on coming. Unlike many smoky whiskies there is no trace of a plastic-peat note on this at all.
On the first tasting I found this whisky agreeably sweet, friendly and easy to drink but with each successive nose and sip it became a little less engaging. Something about the profile didn't appeal to me and eventually I realized that I was not sensing any distillery character at all in this whisky. The heavy port finish blankets everything and the Laphroaig heritage is nowhere to be seen - this could be a smoky distillate from any distillery.
There was a port-finished Cairdeas a few yeas ago that was exceptional – sprightly, balanced and complex. This comes across as a less competent version of that. It is well made but I can’t imagine ever buying a bottle, particularly given the price.
“Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)
200.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@consamp There's about a dozen bars that have good selections of whisky in the city, but I've only been to a few. At the expensive end of town the Shirt Bar in Barangaroo (on the west side of the Sydney CBD) is a pleasant place to wind down, has a great selection, and is a SMWS partner bar (if that's of interest). The Baxter Inn on Clarence St is a little more pricey but has an enormous selection in the downstairs whisky room. The Wild Rover in Surrey Hills is a more cosy pub-style place with a focus on whisk(e)y. The Archie Rose Distillery in the inner-city suburb of Rosebery is a 15 minute bus ride from the CBD and has a great bar, light meals and a good distillery tour. There are several craft distilleries in the inner city and surrounding suburbs, but they are all young and none has a whisky ready to release yet - they are making gin, vodka and rum to pay the bills right now. Still worth visiting, however.
@cascode I'll be in Sydney over the hollidays this year. Any reccomendations for must hit bars to try some scotch?
@cascode there’s a big difference between batch 1 and batch 2. I first had batch 2, and hated it. I remember it smelling like gym socks. Batch 1 is much better. If you can find batch 1, it’s about as close as you can get to the amazing Cairdeas portwood, for somewhat less.
@LeeEvolved I loved Brodir but loved the 2013 Cairdeas that I had some weeks ago even more!
Nice review. Funny thing is I felt the same way towards the 2013 Cairdeas and then I landed a bottle to drink and it’s like they flip-flopped: the Brodir seemed deeper and more balanced than the Cairdeas I had raved about. I’ve also heard there’s a huge batch difference between the Brodir’s. I recently found a couple bottles of Brodir Batch 1 and I hope they are closer to what I was expecting from the Cairdeas. While I loved them both, the Brodir’s asking price was about $70-80 less than the Cairdeas, so that made the choice a lot easier.