Laphroaig 10 Year

Review #073 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: aged 10 years, matured in ex-bourbon barrels Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Tawny color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 18/20 I never get tired of the medicinal nose on this one. Adhesive bandages and iodine lead, accompanied by peat smoke, with softer notes of worn leather, cinnamon, green apples, and a hint of salty sea breeze. Palate: 34/40 Peat smoke, iodine, asphalt, old rubber tires, bitter black tea, and sea salt. It’s positively filthy and savory and delicious. There’s also hints of something sweeter though, with the smallest traces of vanilla and burnt caramel in the background, which become a bit more evident as I continue sipping. Finish: 30/40 Medium finish. The smoke from the palate carries through to kick things off, but now it reminds me more cigar smoke. It quickly transitions to soot and wet ashes, and there’s a bit of citrus zest as it fades out. The ending taste on my tongue is of bitter black tea. With Water: A couple drops of water emphasizes the vanilla on the palate and introduces some subtle herbal flavors. Vanilla is also evident in the finish now, which is ending on a salty note that seems to have replaced the black tea. Total: 82/100 Final thoughts: I think the nose is my favorite part of this bottle, the palate is very good also but the finish is lacking by comparison. I often joke with my friends that this is a whisky that separates the boys from the men (mainly because most of them don’t care for it). By contrast I never get tired of this dram - it’s always a delight, and kind to my wallet as well. Price: $49 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

On the nose it opens with mossy peat and a touch of lemon, carried on a salty sea breeze. There’s a hint of seaweed in there, and sometimes even something like wet charred wood. Beneath it all, just at the very back, a tiny trace of caramel peeks through. On certain nights, a faint medicinal iodine drifts in, but it’s not always present — sometimes it’s front and centre, other times it hides completely. The palate hits immediately with salt, almost like a wave catching you off guard, before quickly moving into sharp lemon. Depending on the night, a touch of smoke comes through here — not always heavy or tarry, sometimes just a gentle ashiness. The iodine can emerge mid-glass, mingling with the citrus and salt, but on other pours it stays in the background. Somewhere in the mix, a little toffee sweetness lingers, never centre stage but enough to round the edges. The finish can be surprisingly short for such a bold whisky — often a flash of lemon and pepper before it’s gone, though the mouthfeel is thicker and oilier than you’d expect for 40%. Some nights it fades into dry ash, others it brightens right at the end, leaving a cleaner, fresher impression than you started with. Laphroaig 10 is never exactly the same from one sitting to the next. One day it’s bright, zesty, and coastal; the next it’s mossy, ashy, and brooding, with iodine swirling through the background. That’s part of its magic — it’s not just a one-dimensional smoke bomb, it’s a dram that shifts with your palate, your mood, and even the weather outside.

Total Score : 3.0 [Eng] [Nose] - Weak gas stations smell (= oil smell) - Strong smoky burnt smell. - Smells sweet and peaty, both balanced. [Palete] - A slipperiness that glides over inside my mouth. - Light - Slightly sweet. - Woody and grain is filled in my mouth inside. [Finish] - Strong odor of medicine. [Kor] [Nose] - 약한 주유소 냄새(=기름 냄새) - 스모키한 탄내 - 피트향 - 약하지만 달달한 향이 나긴 함. [Palete] - 입에서 미끄러지듯이 넘어가는 매끈함. - 가벼움. - 살짝 달콤함. - 우디한 곡물향이 입안을 감쌈. [Finish] - 약 냄새 - 강한 스모키와 옅음 곡물향이 남음.

The flagship for a reason, the 10 year is a real crowd pleaser. It has the smoothness and sweet richness you would expect from a bit older whiskey. Other than obvious false advertising problem, Laphroaig could easily say this was a 15 year and no one would bat an eye. With a bit of the sea flavor, you can tell that this whiskey spent it's decade a literal stone´s throw away from the ocean around Islay.

Nose: beautiful maritime salt air, classic pungent Laphroaig peat, even without a proper nosing glass Laphroaig 10 still manages to overcome the obstacle and provide you something interesting to smell! Palate: rowdy. Roaring beach bonfire as the most and rain rizzle what you'd think to be seawater. Seaweed, rubber, vanilla. Finish: phenolic, salty, oak tannin shows up nicely here.

This has been my go to whiskey whenever I need an easy-going, smoky and tasteful dram without breaking the bank. I find it a bit simple in a way that there is not that much to discover. The smoke and vanilla are clearly present. I would think this goes very well for beginners. As a beginner, it certainly did for me.