Laphroaig 10 y.o.

40% abv

Score:  88/100

Sadly, Laphroaig 10 has all but disappeared from the local markets (ahem…Canada).  The reason for this would seemingly be the launch of the Quarter Cask expression.  So…while the 10 year old is undoubtedly a fine dram…the trade off is ultimately worthwhile.  Because we’re all friends here, come on…let’s face it…The QC is bloody brilliant.

So why would a distillery of Laphroaig’s repute not have both expressions side by side on the shelf?  Well…simple age reasons really.  The 10 year old and QC both share the same price point, but the QC matures in (about) half the time.  I’m sure you can figure it out from there.

For us peatheads, this bodes poorly though.  Our selection of Islay gold is somewhat limited as it stands, and that extra Laphroaig option would be warmly welcomed back, I figure.  Alas…we make do.

So for those who have only tried the Quarter Cask, interested in how they stack up?

Well…put simply…you’ve got the winner with the QC.  That extra 8% abv and youthful peat nip in the QC are also buffeted by much bigger smoke winds.  The 10 year old, though quite exceptional in its own right, just doesn’t have the sheer monstrosity that the Quarter Cask does.

Laphroaig 10 is nifty though.  All that you’d expect of an Islay whisky is front and center.  Peat…smoke…iodine and tar…and big briny seaside tartness.  As counter-intuitive as this may sound, it is sharper but mellower than the QC.  The sharpness comes from a citric tang, while the mellow side is simply from not hefting that extra alcohol and raw earthiness.

Don’t be fooled, peat lovers.  This is still enormous.  Mouth-coatingly oily and dense, it is chock full of smoke and seaside depth.  Close your eyes.  It’s hard not be instantly transported to dark and stormy Islay shores, where the ocean heaves massive waves against warehouses of casks, and rain falls diagonally through the night.

Breathe deep…let your lids droop…sink deep into that chair.  This is indeed weighty stuff.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

48% abv

Score:  89.5/100

Another monster from the bog.  Laphroaig has done something different here.  In order to replicate whisky distillation and maturation from the days of old, the craftsmen at Laphroaig have finished this whisky in smaller casks to allow greater wood/whisky contact.  The Quarter Cask is aged to about 5 years in bourbon casks before the transfer.

The QC is the ultimate in successful whisky experiment and innovation.  There is simply nothing to rival this.

As you’d expect nothing less from Laphroaig, this is a bottle full of smoke.  Heavy peat, yet smooth beyond its age.  Seems a little raw around the edges as it lacks that certain sweetness you find in some some of the other Islays.  Big fat arrival…long development…finish that lingers almost as long as the beautiful aroma.

This is all smoke (no mirrors, thankfully).  The real deal.  Heavy and lingering.  Massive arrival that develops into something with a bit of heat and…I know, I know…dirt.  Very earthy.  I think I’m getting a touch of anise in there as well.  Typical young peat citric notes are a little buried (surprisingly) by smoke, but present nevertheless.

Definitely a winter whisky, but one that will have you thinking of summer bonfires.  Very raw and overpowering…in a good way.  I can promise you that the smell of this whisky will still be blanketing the room long after your glass is empty.

At ~$50 a bottle, and a brilliant bottling at 48% abv, this is definitely one to snag a couple bottles of if the opportunity presents itself.  One helluva Christmas gift idea too.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Laphroaig 30 y.o.

43% abv

Score:  93.5/100

Wow. What a marriage. Simply brilliant interaction between oak and spirit. Here we have a whisky showing young and vibrant notes of every fruit under the rainbow, while at the same time purposefully striding with elegance and grace though the decades.

Tasted twice now in Laphroaig vertical tastings, my initial impressions have been cemented into bona fide opinion (not worth much, I know). Even after a few younger cask-strength expressions in those line-ups, this one wowed the socks off all present.

Picking fruits off the nose here is like shooting fish in a barrel. It is simply too easy. I believe one of The Collective even said something along the lines of ‘everything but mango’. Interestingly enough, blueberries dominate. I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered that before. Other big ‘uns…peach, melon and typically peaty citrus.

Wood influence is forefront. Mature and dusty, waxy and smoky. This is mellow and fruit-rich. Hints of tar and rubber are held at bay by the myriad of fruit. I kid you not…this is like a lightly smoked and salted fruit basket. Someone also mentioned maple, and yeah…kinda. The funny thing is though, the nose keeps changing. Somewhat like a reverberating beat that lets one note take the forefront for a moment or two before receding to allow the next to step forward.

The delivery is fresh home baked breads, caramelized fruit and soft creamy smoke. Clinging and utterly heartbreaking when it fades. One could get lost in this whisky. I only ask for the opportunity to try.

43%. Sigh. Oh…to have this at cask strength…

There are countless gems in the Laphroaig range, but here is the Hope Diamond. Sans curse, of course.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Laphroaig 25 y.o. Cask Strength (2009 Edition)

51% abv

Score:  92.5/100

By no means can Laphroaig be considered a subtle dram. Its reputation as one of the most defining and polarizing single malts in existence is not without merit. Even the more readily available expressions in the Laphroaig line-up (Quarter Cask and 10 year old) are enough to have some swooning and some bolting. Taking this self-same malt from the isle of Islay up to cask strength (51% abv) only helps to reinforce this characteristic might.

But then again…who needs subtlety? There are enough bland and homogenized whiskies bending the shelves worldwide. Whiskies such as this, with its profoundly jagged and flavor-filled profile, should be embraced and, when the occasion calls for it, revered. There is just no way around it. This is an enormously aggressive whisky.

Nose:  Smoke, licorice and peppered greens. Some lime, mild chocolate and fresh tropical fruit. Sweet unidentifiable fruits carried over, I’m sure, from the Oloroso cask. Dry grainy/cereal notes come through as it opens up and the initial bite retreats a little. There is also a wee bit of caramel adding some smooth sweetness. Tack on the typical Islay profile notes of peat, fishiness and iodine and you pretty much have what I’m getting on this one. Quite a busy one.

Palate:  There is a peppery bite on first sips. An odd and fleeting hint of red licorice as it first crosses the palate. The caramel notes absolutely do not carry over to the palate, however the chocolate does, and carries a hint of honey. A great delicious briny tang puts down roots as well.

Thoughts:  Not a lot one could drink after this in a sitting. Most likely a malt you want to close your evening with.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt