Laphroaig is one of our favourite distilleries. They have a solid range of quintessential islay whiskies which we all really enjoy. Laphroaig triple wood is the first whiskey we ever tasted at Whiskey Club, long before the blog came into existence. I'm really excited to retry this particular whisky to see how our pallettes have changed throughout the last almost 2 years of whiskey club.
The distillery was sold to Long John International in the 1960s, and subsequently became part of Allied Domecq. The brand was in turn acquired by Fortune Brands in 2005, as one of the brands divested by Pernod Ricard in order to obtain regulatory approval for its takeover of Allied Domecq. Fortune Brands then split up its business product lines in 2011, forming its spirits business into Beam Inc. Beam was then purchased by Suntory Holdings in April 2014.
Laphroaig has been the only whisky to carry the Royal Warrant of the Prince of Wales, which was awarded in person during a visit to the distillery in 1994. The 15-year-old was reportedly the prince's favourite Scotch whisky.
The Taste
Laphroaig calls itself one of the most strongly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies, and is most frequently aged to 10 years, although the 15-year-old variety is common (the 27-, 30- and 40-year-olds are rare and expensive; the 18-year-old was discontinued in late 2015).[3] The whisky has a peaty/smoky flavour.
The Laphroaig Quarter Cask was introduced in 2004. This expression is aged in smaller casks and is not chill filtered. Due to the smaller barrels used, the oak surface contact is 30% greater than with standard barrels. The company describes the effect of this as "creating a soft and velvety edge".[7] The Quarter Cask is bottled at 48% ABV (96 proof).[8] The standard bearer 10-year-old bottling is bottled at 40% or 43% ABV dependent on the locality where it's purchased.[8]
There are also expressions now selling in Travel Retail: Laphroaig QA cask (matured in ex-bourbon barrels and virgin American oak casks), Laphroaig PX cask (matured in three types of wood – from American oak to Quarter Cask to Pedro Ximenez ex-sherry), Laphroaig An Cuan Mor – Big Ocean (matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and then in European oak). -- wikipedia
| Style | Single Malt |
| Region | Scotch |
| Alcohol | 48% |
| Nose | 8.3/10 |
| Taste | 8.5/10 |
| Finish | 8/10 |
| Overall | 8/10 |
"The king of peat, its very strong, the first sip you can feel the burn. But the smell is super delicious, and the flavour is great."
"On the nose, it's so peaty but on the tongue it's got a sweetness which balances out the smoke"
This is a solid whisky. Some club members scored this a solid 10/10 for a few of the criteria. I think this is the perfect whisky if you're a peated whisky fan. It's smokey, it's sweet, and balances a 48% alcohol volume with ease. I'd go as far to say this is my favourite Islay whisky.