Laphroaig 27 Year (2017 Release)

Laphroaig tasting evening, Sydney, 26 September 18. Whiskey #4. Nose: The smell of a bowl of fruit salad, enjoyed in a fragrant garden by the sea, with the faintest wisp of smoke occasionally wafted by a salt breeze from a fire on the beach. Beautifully aromatic, enveloping but delicate - sensual but almost diaphanously floral. At times the fruity aroma rises in intensity to be like the smell of a bag of boiled fruit sweets, but only for an instant before being dispelled by the gentle aromatic smoke. Palate: A sweet, subtle and refined arrival of slightly oily tropical fruit juice (orange, mandarin, pineapple, melon, guava and banana). The waft of smoke from the nose gains in intensity and unfolds into a complex succession of smoky flavours as it develops - peat smoke, cigar ash, wood-fire cinders and ever so slightly over-toasted raisin bread. Concomitant warm and savoury spicy flavours (notably cardamom and cumin) emerge carrying notes of Greek coffee and old, well-tamed oak tannins. Finish: Medium/long. The sweetness of the arrival very gradually turns to a dry leathery tobacco with a touch of oak. Sublime. Simply sublime. I love old peated whisky, particularly Laphroaig, and I take the opportunity to attend any tasting where such an expression will be featured. The character is so different from younger Laphroaig bottlings (which are enjoyable in their own way, of course). If you're looking for a smoky blast then stay with Laphroaig of 15 years or less, or any of the NAS expressions, as with age this distillate becomes something quite different (as is the case with all smoky whiskies). From 15 years onwards, it starts to change character significantly so by the time you arrive at this 27 year old the signature smoke has become a subtle background that permeates the other facets of the whisky, leaving the fruity and gentle spicy notes to take centre stage. Give this time to breathe after pouring. Don't even think of tasting it before it's had at least 20 minutes in the glass - you will only be cheating yourself of a wonderful experience and wasting the whisky. Hurrying this malt is a mortal sin. Don't add any water either - enjoy this neat in all its glory. "Outstanding" : 91/100 (5 stars)

** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. Well, once my anger and disappointment subsided from Laphroaig NOT bringing the 25yo, 30yo or the Cairdeas for VIP like they promised I had to try the 27. I have bottles of the 25 and 30 at home so I was really looking forward to trying them without having to open my personal bottles. Dammit, Laphroaig rep! Anyway, onto the 27- the latest vintage was released in the spring of 2017. It had typical Laphroaig creosote notes with a surprisingly strong oak backbone. There was a hint of vanilla mingling in and out throughout the entire sip. The finish was rather long and somewhat dry- unusual for Laphroaig. They are typically oily. It had some depth to it, but I’m not sure I need an entire bottle- especially at $600+. Cheers.

I got to try this last night. It was quite pleasant, and had picked up some interesting wood flavors from aging, but at the same time it paid for these with a hefty portion of its Laphroaig essence. The sophistication gained versus the core essence lost, was unfortunately, not a favorable exchange. I'd much rather buy 5-10 bottles of Lore or Cairdeas than a single bottle of this - to my particular taste, Lore is a more enjoyable whiskey at a much lower price, and I've quite frankly enjoyed several of the editions of Cairdeas more as well. Laphroaig is my first love in the whiskey world - it doesn't need a long aging, it can do remarkable things with just a bit of age and some creative use of wood. It's Laphroaig - in my mind, it can't be bad, but this is about twice as old as it needs to be.

One of those whiskies that I would be happy to just nose all night: it transports you to a rugged shore with the air full of sea brine and Scottish heather. The taste is almost besides the point, but it’s richer than the ABV suggests, less peaty than a young Laphroaig and sweeter to beat. It fades a little on the mid-palate but finishes long, strong and sweet. I had only an ounce of this, courtesy of a special deal for members of my favorite bar’s whisky club, but it was enough to put me in a euphoric mood for the main event of the night, Kamasi Washington at The Apollo Theater. And thus, my friends, I can disclose that the combination of vintage Laphroaig and two and a half hours of transcendental live jazz is the key to opening your third eye.

Review #3 of 12 from DC Whiskyfest 2018. I was only able to do 12 because I came down with something that afternoon that really messed with my head and stomach. I should have just stayed in the hotel room but I didn’t pay $350 for VIP tickets to sample my pillow! No scores for anything sampled as I don’t think it would be fair. Much to our disdain, this was the only VIP pour of the 4 promised by Laphroaig to actually make it to Whiskyfest and it put us in a bad mood. Creosote, Peat, bourbon notes and vanilla on the nose. Seemed mature really needed time to develop. The palate was smooth with peat and strong oak. Hard to tell if this one is worth it, but I suspect it’s better as a collectible.

Online drammers club pour Bourbon and Quarter Casks from floor 1 of warehouse 1 Nose: Smoke, Citrus, Caramel, Vanilla, Lime, Orange, White Chocolate, Tar, Mango, Pineapple, Pepper, Banana, Apple, Sourdough Bread, Mint, Eucyptalus, Nectarines, Peach, Kiwi, Cherries Palate: Peat, Iodine, Seaweed, Caramel, Oak, Dark Chocolate, Orange, Vanilla, Peach, Salt, Mango, Pineapple Finish: Smoke, Tar, Peat, Iodine, Vanilla, Caramel, Dried Fruit, Cherries, Eucyptalus, Grass, Pineapple Great stuff, surprisingly light and refreshing for a 27 year old