55,8°
Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay
Sherry Butt
Independent Bottling
By Douglas Laing & Co.
Limited Edition
Single Cask
Bottled in 2013
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 43 ppm
The Directors' Cut range had a short existence. Created in the early 2010s, it disappeared a few years later, probably following the separation of the two Laing brothers. It was an exceptional range of whiskies, old and in very limited editions. This one is a Laphroaig aged in a single sherry cask for 21 years, and only 186 were produced, so it quickly sold out. A rarity among rarities.
Let's Taste It :
Typical of the distillery, thick medicinal peat, rocky. It's obvious to the nose. Lignite, gravel, tin, nails. Thick smoke, to cut with a knife. Electric cables. After a while, it's very fruity. Apricots, mango, quinces. The smoke becomes a little suffocating. I enter a fog. Very good balance with the fruits. On the palate, bananas, medlars, ripe plums, spices, paprika, cumin. Peat in the background, giving depth. Some metallic hints. A hint of lemon. Quite a long, stony, loamy finish. Melted butter, shade of white fruits.
In Short,
Incredible, despite the great age of the liquid, the peaty, cloudy and medicinal character is still strong. I tasted some other old Laphroaig, and it was less abrasive. The Sherry cask is very discreet, and let the distillate fully express itself, which is what makes the quality of this bottling. A must-have if you're a fan of the distillery like me, except that it's nowhere to be found. And it's too expensive.
Score : 91
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead
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