48°
Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay
Ex-Bourbon Barrels and Ruby Port Finish
Original Bottling
Travel Retail Exclusive
Single Malt
Launched in 2014
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
Peated around 43 ppm
The story begins in 2012. The first Laphroaig Brodir was released in a limited edition of 2,000 bottles, indicating 13 years of age, and it quickly sold out. The following year, Laphroaig Cairdeas 2013 was announced as Port Wood Finish, and again it was a great success. As a result, in 2014, a new edition of Brodir was marketed, this time in NAS, and reserved for the travel trade. At first, each Batch was indicated on the bottle, Batch 1 in 2014, Batch 2 in 2015, but in the following years, they no longer bothered with these details and Brodir was released in bulk. It's still officially reserved for the travel trade, but you can easily find it just about everywhere, although it seems that production stopped in 2018. It's easy to guess what Brodir means in Old Norse, just think about a similar word in English.
Let's Taste It :
It smells of damson. And red plums. Candied damsons. Amarena. Then coal, tyres and nails sweep in. Laphroaigish. Quickly followed by thick, mountain honey. Apricot jam. Rhubarb. Tobacco. Nice balance after a while, but it's quite sweet. The iodine gives it depth. Slight but discreet medicinal touch. Floral hints. A bit light on the palate. A pinch of fine salt, crushed fruits. Spices, not too strong. Paprika, turmeric. Lamb curry. Lignite. Quite a long, charcoal finish, spicy, with the fruits coming back up. Cola, stretto coffee.
In Short,
An excellent expression of the Laphroaig profile, but tempered by a round, soft Port. It's a shame that it's being released in NAS, as you can feel that the juice lacks a little maturity on the palate. On the other hand, I don't think it's good value for money, especially as the recent release of the 10yo Sherry Oak Finish gives it a serious facelift, at a lower cost.
Score : 88
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Nazareth - Morning Dew
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