53,4°
Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay
Ex-Bourbon Barrels and Oloroso Sherry Butts
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2022
Unchillfiltered, Cask Strength
Peated around 43 ppm
Let’s compare the 25-year-old Ardbeg with its counterpart from Laphroaig. Laphroaig has been producing 25-year-olds for a very long time now. Since 2008, a Cask Strength version has been released nearly every year, and given that there was none in 2010, this one is therefore the 14th batch. It has been matured in a combination of Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels. It is impossible to know whether it has been coloured or not, as no source specifies this, which generally means that it has been coloured.
Let's Taste It :
A perfect balance between iodine notes, a dirty yet elegant peat, laced with soot and medicinal notes, and vibrant fruits, papaya, pineapple, flambéed banana, lychee, white grapes, mirabelle plums, lime, a whisper of vanilla, old wood. On the palate, thick honey, melting caramel, peaches, orgeat syrup, rose water, underpinned by a thick, vegetal peat that is, however, very well tamed. Subtle and varied spices. A superb finish, incredibly long, charcoal nuggets, soot here and there, lemon tart, bewitching smoke, balsamic vinegar, baked apples, rustic cereals. Dried seaweed, moistened ashes.
In Short,
It’s a bit like the 25 yo in 2020, which I’m talking about here, in other words, the qualities of youth, vigor and a peaty intensity, combine here with the qualities of age, subtlety, complexity and the influence of the cask, to create a well-rounded whisky. Except that with this one, it’s even better, there’s a fairly high alcohol content that gives it a certain intensity, and fruity, exotic flavours that take you to heaven. I could go on talking about it for ages, but I must get to the price. It’s half the price of the Ardbeg, which is actually the same age, but it’s still a bit too expensive for me, unfortunately. Perhaps with a bit of luck at auction, I’ll one day have the privilege of getting my hands on a bottle.
Score : 91
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Child of Night - Unafraid
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