Laphroaig An Cuan Mór

I was finally able to land a pour of this travel retail exclusive whisky from my friend @Telex, in Maryland. I bought a bottle of this about 6 months ago but have been reluctant to open it because stocks have disappeared and I’d like to hold one for further down the road. My buddy opened his for his YouTube channel review and graciously sent me a pour so I don’t have to crack mine. This is antique gold in the Glencairn and leaves behind some seriously heavy droplets when you give it a spin. It took quite awhile for some thick, undefined legs to form though. She’s an oily beast and bottled at 48%. The nose was a heavy mix of smoke, butterscotch and band aid for the longest time. Some faint citrus and malty sweetness crept in and provided a nice change to your typical Laphroaig. The palate was BBQ brisket and sweet, sherry cask with a dense, medicinal note that struck me as odd- just because it didn’t seem very well integrated. I expect the flavors, they just didn’t seem to be mixed. I got smoke and BBQ- then medicinal and band aid- back and forth they went. The finish is velvety smooth, smoky, warm and oily. The flavors linger and I do get some zesty lemon peel residual flavor to end things on a high note. Overall, this is a delicious NAS that just slightly trails the Lore bottle. Lore has that well-aged complexity that’s not present here, but this is still a very solid dram. 4.25 stars. Cheers.

Nose: Fragrant smoke, a tinge of orange and dark honey, some trademark iodine with a whiff of wintergreen. Palate: A woody arrival with a mild nutty flavour like water chestnut. There is a creamy, sweet, oily, chocolatey, tangy development but it faded too quickly for my liking. There is some spicy salt and a revival of the orange/honey sweetness from the nose late in the development, but unfortunately it turned a fraction sour towards the finish. Finish: Medium/long. Oak tannin and spice, tobacco. Woody overall but with a worrying metallic tinge to the aftertaste. This is a good whisky that presents as a bigger brother to both the 10 year old and Quarter Cask expressions, but it is more interesting than either. It has good weight and texture with more heft and presence than the 10 year old, due in no small part to the much higher abv, but it is surprisingly similar in style. It has more class and complexity than the Quarter Cask with better balance and no sign of the resinous note in that expression that I don’t particularly like. This would be my clear choice between these three whiskies were it not for the price, which in my opinion is too high to be justifiable for a NAS whisky that is mainly composed from young casks. I tasted this from a 30ml sampler and although I did enjoy it I don't think I'd ever buy a whole bottle. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

This is a very nice whiskey that I'll probably never buy (this review is based on a 2 ounce sample). That's not because I have no idea when I'll find myself in an airport again. While it's probably one of the better travel retail exclusive bottles at the moment (at least I think it's still a TR exclusive) it doesn't stand out from the rest of Laphroaig's offerings. I'd love to try this alongside the 10 and the 10 Cask Strength, because it seems to be highly similar to both, with an ABV somewhere in between. It certainly has the same ashy peat, sea salt, vanilla and medical notes.   If the An Cuan Mor was priced midway between the 10 and the 10 Cask Strength, I probably would buy it.  But it appears to run about $100, around $40 more than I think it's worth in comparison to the 10s.  But who knows?  Maybe the next time I'm in an airport (and thrilled to be traveling again), the excitement will get the better of me.  It's certainly not a bottle I'd be unhappy to consume.

You know what would make this better? Not having it forcibly at 6am in Newark Airport. Okay, so---it's Monday morning and I was to catch a flight from EWR to PHX. I took this sample generously provided by Richard@moderndrinking, thinking that I'll have it after a long day in Phoenix in my hotel room. I even put it in its own ziplock bag. Ms. TSA then pulls me aside after scanning my bag, and tell me I can't bring this with me. "But why, I'm carrying bigger liquids like a shaving cream and cologne. Why not this?" Nope...there's no reasoning. But I'd be damned if my Laphroaig was to be destined forever in the bottom of some TSA bin. I stepped out of line, went to a bar, asked for a glass with a sliver of water. And thoroughly enjoyed this fine piece of artistry. Classic Laphroaig, but less punch in the face, some dates and figs, with some astringency at the end. I need to pick up a bottle. Thanks for the sample Richard!

Another Feis Ile 2018 sample dram picked up at Laphroaig's Filling Fair. The name of this travel retail exclusive means "the big ocean," and this dram kind of reminds me a piece of leather, toughened through successive soaks in seawater and dried out in the hot sun. The distinguishing finishing feature of this one is purportedly finishing in virgin European oak casks, but I'm not sure that they benefit the final product. Its nose features wax, oil, buttered rolls, and smoke. The palate is salty, perhaps too much so, with vegetal peat and dry, bitter vegetables like brussel sprouts cooked without oil. It ends on a dry coda of herbal peat, sour lemon, and bitter oak. A little too dry and bitter, rather than richly smoky, for my tastes. This is an expensive dram at $100 or more in airports and duty-free shops, and I think it's a pretty bad value considering the excellence of other Laphroaigs.

Absolutely fantastic. Even better than "Lore" (which i gave a 99 score out of 100). An Cuan Mòr means "Big Ocean" in Gaelic and this is a travel exclusive expression from the always great Laphroaig. Bottled at 48%abv, it supposedly is 18yo. On the nose, peat presents itself as socks, Grape candy, Oranges, Tar and Roasted crest from a cake. Lovely. Powerful. On the palate, first Caramel and Oranges, Red fruits and a Smoky sensation that wraps all those fruity sweet notes. Wonderfully crafted, Full mouth sensation, very thick. Aftertaste is long, spicy, peppery and clove. Simply outstanding dram, here grab your 100 points out of a 100. Slainte mhath!