December 16, 2014

The Laphroaig Sessions, Part One

Plenty of Laphroaigs yet to taste, both officials and independents, and both new and old bottlings. Don’t worry, we won’t do all that in one go, but we shall start with some epitomical bottlings, such as some old OBs…

Laphroaig 10 yo (43%, OB, F.&C. Torino, Italy, late 1980s, 75cl)

Ah, Bonfanti, Filippi, Cinzano… All Italian importers who had some fantastic young official Laphroaigs! This one’s a little more recent, but it was bottled before the mid-1990s for sure, as it hasn’t got the royal warrant. Let’s see if it was as stunning… Colour: gold. Nose: yes. I’d say it’s rather less on tropical fruits than earlier bottlings, while being more medicinal than any officials I could try so far. It’s really all on bandages, embrocations, antiseptic, camphor, burning pinewood, Kools… Very spectacular, all you still need is a nurse ;-). Mouth: exceptionally brutal, once again it’s stronger than earlier bottlings, more austere, certainly smokier and vastly more medicinal. Peppery smoke, cough medicine, mercurochrome, acrid green apples, then indeed notes of grapefruits but I couldn’t find any hints of mangos or passion fruits, that was more in the 1960s and 1970s. Finish: very long, very smoky, rather rough. Saltier aftertaste. Reminds me of some smoked oysters. Comments: the kind of Laphroaig that explains why they used to use the ‘love it or hate it’ kind of line in their ads. Pretty extreme! Now, this sissy of a taster used to prefer the gentler, fruitier ones! SGP:258 - 87 points.

Laphroaig 15 yo (90° US proof, OB, unblended, Regal Brands, USA, +/-1980)

So an American bottling this time, bearing the famous ‘red – or pink – 15’ on both the main and the neck labels. BTW have you heard that Laphroaig will reintroduce the 15? Great news if they manage to keep the older profile. Colour: gold. Nose: pah-pah-pah-pah-pah… Eating passion fruits and mangos on an old stove while smoking a Cuban puro. It’s this style that made us all Laphroaig lovers. It’s simply extraordinary and emblematic of that era when Bowmore and Laphroaig used to rule Islay – as far as malt whisky’s concerned, of course. Mouth: silly me, what a mistake to have had this baby before newer bottlings! It’s just that at this relatively low strength of 90proof/45% vol., I had though we should have it before the CS and/or wine-doped versions. Excuse me? The whisky? Well, it’s as brilliant as peaty whisky can get. Smoked passion fruits, ashy mangos, salted grapefruits and all that. Please call the anti-maltoporn brigade! Finish: long, and more peppery than expected. Wonderful ‘tropical’ signature. Comments: whisky that matters. SGP:546 - 93 points.

My nose is shaking…

Laphroaig ‘Cairdeas - Port Wood Edition’ (51.3%, OB, Friends of Laphroaig, 2013)

NAS, Port aromat… I mean, finishing, everything we love. But hey, you never know… Colour: salmony. Nose: well well well, this isn’t too unpleasant, I don’t get many strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, cassis and other berries, rather a slightly sweeter peat smoke and more oranges than usual. Also whiffs of old barrels, musty cellar, antiseptic… With water: same, plus something slightly soapy. On the other hand, the coastal side tends to come to the front, with more seaweed. Which is nicer, of course. Mouth (neat): the sweetness comes out this time, this is very ‘experimental’. Smoked sweets? Ashy marmalade? Cassis liqueur and seawater? I wouldn’t say everything clashes, but I find it a little dissonant. Bah, not my style at all anyway. With water: some soapy tannins arise, forget water. Finish: quite long, a little bittersweet. Green pepper and raspberries? Comments: not ugly at all, but this is not for me, I find these bottlings pointless generally speaking. I love Port and raspberries, just not in my whisky. I used to like the PX Cask better. SGP:646 - 74 points.

Another chance for the Cairdeasses…

Laphroaig ‘Cairdeas - Master Edition' (57.3%, OB, Feis Ile 2010)

From when they were still allowed to mention the composition on a label, in this case ‘spirit ranging from 11 to 19 years of age’. So, it’s an 11 years old. Colour: straw. Nose: there! A nice, rather pure Laphroaig coated with a little natural vanilla that makes it rather rounder, but certainly not dull. Iodine, seaweed, fresh hazelnuts, a rather mild smoke for Laphroaig, everything’s coherent. With water: more sea stuff and hessian. A lot of hessian. Mouth (neat): yes, this works! Pure zesty smoky lemony modern ‘Phroaig, with an oily mouth feel, possibly from some active American oak. Smoked grapefruits. With water: excellent, crystal-clean, going towards the second-tier 10yo CS. Finish: long, clean, very smoky, ashy, salty. Very peppery aftertaste. What we were expecting. Comments: a little biting, and that’s what we were waiting for. A little too simple to reach the 90-mark in my book, but we’re close. SGP:458 - 89 points.

Laphroaig 15 yo 1997/2014 (54.3%, La Maison du Whisky, Artist #4, sherry hogshead, cask #3350, 291 bottles)

With a very lovely label by Albane Simon. After all, since we need labels, why not let true artists make them? Colour: gold. Nose: what’s impressive is to nose this along the Port Wood. This is so much better integrated (the wonders of refill, perhaps), and yet I do find wee touches of strawberries, and even raspberries. Also kippers, smoked bacon, old musty cellar, then more leather and walnuts, and perhaps a little parmesan cheese? It’s not a whistle-clean Laphroaig at all, but everything’s in sync this time. With water: sweeter leathery notes. Mouth (neat): massive! Sweet peat, as we sometimes say. Some kind of smoked orange liqueur with a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. There’s a roundness to it (raisins, figs) but the spirit was huge and keeps the whole ‘nervous’ and not clumsy at all. With water: smoked walnut wine with a little salt. Swims well on the palate, and even gives out old-style medicinal notes. Finish: long, sweet, slightly leathery and earthy. Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: excellent, even if this is not my preferred style. SGP:557 - 86 points.

See you tomorrow with more unusual Laphroaigs!

(Thanks Olivier, Tim)

Check the index of all Laphroaig I've tasted so far



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