Laphroaig 25 Year Cask Strength (2013 Edition)

How wonderful it has been to drink whisky these past few weeks, to mark the passing of another day of good health with a palliative dram that calms the mind and pulls one’s focus to the simple sensory pleasures of the glass at hand. To open the rainy day bottles, just in case it’s now or never. And most importantly to feel part of a worldwide community that brings together strangers who would never have crossed paths were it not for a deeply geeky appreciation of the serendipitous interactions of barley, yeast and water that some people in Scotland or elsewhere stuck in a wooden barrel many years ago. So cheers to that and to all of you. The community of whisky drinkers has been on my mind recently because the highlight of my quarantine has been the weekly virtual tastings organized by my local whisky club. While such online events have quickly become a common feature of the lockdown, our local leader has outdone himself by rounding up jaw-dropping line ups of bottles and getting samples safely into the hands of members. But the quality of the whisky has proven to be less important than the opportunity to connect socially on Zoom, exchange tasting notes and peek into each other’s quarantine chambers. So the fact that my ratings for our recent Laphroaig tasting may look ungratefully low is besides the point. These were whiskies that I might never taste at the best of times, and to do it under such circumstances in what approximates for a social gathering right now is an experience I wouldn’t trade for a bottle of rare Macallan. This 25-year-old was my favorite of the bunch. The version I tried was matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks and bottled in 2019 at cask strength of 51.4%. The nose is spearmint, heather and white pepper, with a hint of banana. In the mouth, it’s fruity, a side of Laphroaig that I really love. We’re talking tropical, with notes of guava and papaya. The finish is long with an aftertaste of burnt brisket. Sounds good, right? Yet it didn’t really come together for me. The differences between the nose, palate and finish made it hard to fully engage with the whisky and slide into the transcendental experience one might get from a more integrated profile. As such, this is a bottle worth sharing rather than owning, and right now there’s nothing wrong with that.

48.9% abv cask strength (2017 release) Non chill-filtered Color likely added Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b44X2LnR9GY&t Nose: Complex: sweetness is balanced with a nice but not overpowering medicinal, salty peat smoke. But just underneath lies a meaty, bbq note, rich Carmel apple; orange and lemon citrus; vanilla and toffee; sea shell. Taste: medium body, oily and mouth coating. On the arrival its sweet vanilla and fresh fruit, but as it develops you get apple, chocolate and a slight floral note. The ride them continues with salted caramel and almond. Finish: seemingly endless. The pest smoke lingers in the background as brine, vanilla, and caramel pop in and out. Slight ginger bread also comes to the party, bringing along buttery cashew. Value: $400-500 USD. Hard to say this is “worth it” despite how good the dram is. Final thoughts: what can one say about a Laphroaig that’s at least 25 years old? Literally every time you nose and taste this you get something new. This is a unicorn single malt, pure and simple. Because of the price I can’t say you should stop what you’re doing and buy a bottle immediately, but should fortune’s wheel spin your way or a generous friend enter your life offering a sample, this is a cannnot miss dram. Score: 4.5/5 (highly recommend buying a bottle.) Malt musing: “It is true that whisky improves with age. The older I get, the more I like it.” - Ronnie Corbett Link to video review: https://youtu.be/b44X2LnR9GY

2014 Release Nose - (w/o water) Dark fruity smoke, earth, fruity peppercorns, dark pear cider, spicy dark chocolate (w/ water) Less smoke, more sea air, ripe pears, golden raisins. Taste - (w/o water) White pepper tingle/heat, sweet smoky salty dark pear cider, lightly drying mouthfeel, smoked sweet nuts, golden raisins (w/ water) Oaky, salty, sweet smoke, initial dark raisin sweet quickly transitions to a golden raisin sweet, ripe pears, sweet smokehouse almonds. Finish - (w/o water) Lingering white pepper tingle/heat, very drying, light sea salt smoke lingers, light smoked salted nuts, golden raisins. (w/ water) Gentle warmth, golden raisins, sea spray, light lingering sweet smoke. Score - 89/100 Final Thoughts - I quite liked this the first time I tried it and I like it again this time. Not being a huge peat head, this was quite tasty as the smoke & all of the unpleasant notes I get from younger Laphroaig are mostly tamed after spending 25 years in oak. The sherry notes in this one are more subdued, so I'm not sure if they used refill sherry or a lighter sherry like amontillado/manzanilla because I get more nutty light fruit notes. Regardless, this is quite tasty, gentle smoke, light savory sea salt throughout, nicely balanced. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe, pending price Would I buy a bottle? - No, I like it, but not enough to get an entire bottle to myself

nCV19 chronicles during quarantine edition. After last night’s amazing Laphroaig 21 TWE single oloroso cask, which in my own little fiefdom, I declared in classic Jim Murray style “best Islay I’ve ever had”, I decided I needed to open another sample of a Laphroaig. This time another well aged one, a 2018 Laphroaig 25, which I bought last year from TWE for $30. This has muted smoke and brine on the nose, followed by a palette of the classic band-aid quality, but with a streak of campfire smoke. It’s a well behaved brother of the 10. Same profile, just muted on the smoke, and more complex layers of lemon citrus meringue. Okay. So here’s the thing—-if I didn’t have that TWE single oloroso cask 21 Yr Laphroaig, I’d probably have given this 5 stars. But in comparison, this falls short. It’s good..real good...but not a whole other level like the 21 TWE. This is about $400 without tariffs, while the 21 single cask was $400 w/tariffs. . In comparison, currently a 27 yr Laphroaig single cask oloroso is $5000. So...the 21yr now seems like a good purchase for those of you that bought it. After we come out of this CV19, pop it open in celebration of being alive.

Not sure if this is the right picture for the review of this I believe 2018 edition. Nose - So i get candy cigarettes, lemon lime, a bit of a real cigarette smoke, iodine, and there's a savory note. This is oddly similar with a bit more citrus than some of their younger elements. Taste - elements of vegetable, vanilla, oak, powered sugar, some citrus fruit, oak almost mutes some of it. The finish is that candy and soft peat. Anyone who thinks 25 years will get rid of the peat punch is crazy, this is heavily peated by any standards. But with it comes so much complexity, so much nuance, so much just awesome whisky. I always struggle with nuanced notes on peat, but as a peat lover this is hands down my favorite heavily peated whisky to date, pushes the ardbeg 23 out of the way. I'm not honestly a fan of Laphroaig generally but this 25 year is amazing. I'm debating a 4.5 vs a 4.75 and i think I'm settling on a 4.5 but it's a STRONG 4.5. This is a bottle I'll replace at almost any price as I need this always in my collection.

This review is for the 2015 version of Laphroaig 25 Cask Strength, which was bottled at 46.8%. Although a cask-strength expression, its long years of maturation ended up driving the ABV down pretty much to the standard, diluted alcohol content of most whiskies. The nose is defined by vanilla, caramel, guava, floral, and oak, with just hints of maritime brine. It's a complex and pleasant nose, albeit not the powerhouse notes one typically associates with Laphroaig. This is a gentle, mature dram whose smokiness is part of a chorus of flavors rather than a solo act. The palate demands attention on every sip, with unexpected flavors each time: oak, coffee, chocolate, peat smoke, and grapefruit. The texture is oily and thicker than one would expect at 46%. The finish has nutty components, like almond or macadamia, along with more oak, chilis, and peat smoke. At roughly $500 a bottle, it's not likely to find a spot on my shelf anytime soon, but it is a lovely and refined accomplishment.