Laphroaig Càirdeas 2008

Feis Ile 2018 reflections. We picked up a few samples of this at Laphroaig’s filling fair on Open Day. What is the filling fair? Heaven on earth, for this Laphroaig fan. For 15 quid, we got a card that entitled us to 4 drams and 4 games in one of the outer buildings at the distillery. The drama on offer were impressive, including Laphroaig 25 and old and rare limited releases like Cask Strength Batch 001, old Cairdeas editions, and 12 and 14 year old single casks tapped especially for Feis Ile. The games also had prizes like Laphroaig merchandise and, you guessed it, more drams. The scents of this old Cairdeas, the first Feis Ile release, are kindling lit on a cold beach: bright, sharp woodsmoke, salt, and coastal stone. The palate is classically medicinal but acidic, with lemon and citrus notes that remind me of Ardbeg. The finish is dry and bitter, quite smoky and ashy, more like a Caol Ila. This is an interesting dram that I could easily have mistaken as a blend of these three distilleries, but it’s a fair bit too dry.