Laphroaig Select

 

 

 

40°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay

1st Fill Bourbon Quarter Casks, Oloroso Butts, Pedro Ximénez Hogsheads, Virgin American Oak Finish

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2014

Unchillfiltered

Peated around 43 ppm

 

 

 

In the 1930s, Ian Hunter, master distiller at Laphroaig, was one of the first to combine American and European casks for a more complex maturation. Seventy years later, John Campbell, the new master distiller on the same site, is paying tribute to him by combining European sherry casks with virgin American casks and first-fill bourbon barrels. The idea is to combine Laphroaig's most iconic bottlings: the 10 YO, the PX Cask, the Triple Wood and the Quarter Cask, and finish the whole in virgin American oak. The result was met with some criticism when it was first released, but the expression lives on 8 years later, and is well worth exploring.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

At the start, a few sunny cereals, malted barley of course, then a nice uppercut of peat, thick smoke, it's almost sickening, but that's what we came for, isn't it? Lemon, iodine, a bit of rock. A very slight medicinal touch. Some vague vegetal hints, tall grass in the rain. Nice palate, lemony, white grape, a little spicy, cumin, paprika, but it's young anyway. Shade of vanilla. Finish not so short, even full, with nutmeg and charcoal. Nougat. Sandy earth.

 

In Short, 

Really disappointing overall. The nose is mediocre, the palate passable, only the finish raises the level a little, to keep it drinkable. I'm tempted to say that it's unworthy of this illustrious distillery, one of the best on the market. What were they thinking? And it's been around for eight years? Errare humanum est, persevare diabolicum.

Note : 82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Destroy Boys - I Threw Glass at my Friend's Eyes and Now I'm on Probation