Laphroaig

Laphroaig Triple Wood & 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Reviews
Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of Laphroaig whiskies.  I’ve enjoyed every expression of Laphroaig, except for their Select release.  I found that one to be a bit underwhelming.  So, when I decided to post a series of Islay whisky reviews, including Laphroaig was a no-brainer.  To this point, I’ve reviewed every core expression of Laphroaig except for the 18-year and the Triple Wood.  Let’s fix that.

Triple Wood

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

As the name suggests, this expression of Laphroaig is triple-matured.  The first maturation takes place in ex-bourbon barrels.  After an undisclosed amount of aging (after all, this IS a non-age stated whisky), the liquid is moved to smaller quarter casks for its second maturation.  After some time, the whisky is transferred again to European oak casks that previously held Oloroso sherry.  This release is non-chill filtered and bottled at a hearty 48% abv.

The nose is full of rich smoked fruit, caramel and peat, with some oak in the background.  The fruity aromas make sort of reminds me of a sweeter, younger sibling to Laphroaig 15 year old.  Taste-wise, oak is a major player – just as it is in Laphroaig Quarter Cask – and shows up immediately on the entry.  Sweet tropical fruit and toffee provide sweetness and richness to the whisky.  But, this is Laphroaig, so that signature ashy smoke and brine is here as well, though that salty note is a bit subdued.  Vanilla bean and a touch of wine pop up towards the end of the mid-palate.  The finish is a little hot at first, but fades over a long time and leaves behind smoked tropical fruit.

Laphroaig distillery manager John Campbell has concocted a rich, sweet and smoky whisky with Triple Wood.  There’s great precision in the use of ex-sherry casks for this release.  The sweetness the sherry cask-maturation provides gives this whisky extra layers of complexity and overall enjoyability.  Highly recommended.

8.5/10

Laphroaig 18-Year-Old

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

The general rule of thumb is that peated whiskies lose their “peatiness” the longer they mature.  Laphroaig’s standard 10-year-old expression is a peaty slap in the face.  Let’s see what eight extra years of maturation does to the “smoky beast”.

On the nose is a bit of sweet, almost candy-like fresh fruit (honeydew melon and pineapple) and vanilla, alongside soft peat and honey.  Though it’s bottled at 48% abv, the entry is rather mellow.  Those saccharine fruit notes from the nose are also found on the palate.  Toffee lends a bit of richness (and sweetness) on top of smoky vanilla and just a touch of spiciness.  The peat comes across as a grassy note.  Some citrus (I’m torn between lemon peel and grapefruit) develops into the long, sweet and somewhat smoky finish.

Eighteen years in oak did mellow the peat Laphroaig is famous for.  Though this expression is still richly flavored, the peaty punch has changed from an knock-out uppercut to a strong right hook.  It still tastes like a Laphroaig whisky, just not as sweet or smoky.  Let’s call it refined.  I liked this whisky a lot the first time I tasted it.  I liked it even more upon further sampling.  Highly recommended, so long as you’re not expecting a giant peaty beast.

9/10
(Note: Review samples were provided by Laphroaig.)

Laphroaig 32-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review
Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

This year, Laphroaig has reached a milestone 200th anniversary.  To celebrate, the distillery has released several limited edition whiskies.  Earlier this year we saw the (brief) return of Laphroaig 15-year-old, said to be a favorite of Prince Charles.  Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 was introduced at this year’s Fèis Ìle.  Both great whiskies.  Then Laphroaig announced a bombshell – a 32-year-old expression.

A very limited release, Laphroaig 32-year was aged exclusively in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.  It’s been bottled at 46.7% abv and is available at a suggested retail price of $1,200.

Thirty-two years is a very long time.  After such an extended maturation process, that infamous Laphroaig peaty punch is gone from the nose.  Instead, lovely stewed fruit (tropical fruit & red apples), brown sugar and baking spices are most prevalent aromas.  The peat smoke here is secondary, lifting the fruit notes above all else.  On entry, there’s a whiff of smoke that leads to honeyed and spiced fruit, and a hint of orange zest.  A brief bitter note shows up.  It lies somewhere between coffee and dark chocolate.  The sherry cask influence is evident in the form of spice and a very light wine note.  The smoke lurks in the background and, like in the nose, is not dominant.  Old and slightly astringent oak shows up for the dry finish.

Amazing.  Simply amazing.  Everything in this whisky is so beautifully balanced.  My gripe is there’s not enough of this whisky to go around.  It’s sad, really.  Anybody collecting this bottle should really pop the cork and pour a dram.  To sit on a shelf and collect dust is the real sin.  After all, whisky is made for drinking.  For those with deep pockets, this is an easy recommendation.

9.5/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Laphroaig.)

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review
Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Photo courtesy of Laphroaig.

Laphroaig’s 200th anniversary year-long celebration saw the release of several expressions this year.  Released during this year’s Fèis Ìle, Laphroaig’s annual Cairdeas (Gaelic for “friendship”) release is highly anticipated by Laphroaig fans.  The 2015 release is bottled at 51.5% abv and available for around $75.  According to the Laphroaig website:

The 2015 bottling is produced from of our finest floor malting’s malt, distilled using only the smaller stills and fully matured in our famous No1 warehouse, right by the sea. Cairdeas 2015 is therefore John’s interpretation of how Laphroaig would have been produced at the distillery 200 years ago.

100% Laphroaig floor maltings?  Distilled only in their smaller stills?  If this doesn’t get you excited, you might as well give up drinking Scotch.

Big “Laphroaig smoke” on the nose, alongside ripe fruit like apples and pineapples and lemon zest.  A touch of honey and oak round things off.  Taste wise, I get smoked caramel and peat right up front.  Underneath is a bed of candied orange, wet bandages, sea salt and charred oak.  The finish is long, with ash smoke and a sweet citrus-fruit note running through.

This is a full-bodied whisky that isn’t as peaty as Laphroaig 10-year, and showcases nice fruit notes throughout.  I love the citrus aspect running thoughout the entire experience, and think this is a better blend than their 15-year.  Tasting this whisky at night, I’m afraid I’m going to have “Laphroaig mouth” in the morning, and that isn’t a bad thing!  Another delightful release from Laphroaig.

8.5/10
(Note: A small review sample was provided by Laphroaig.)