December 18, 2014

The Laphroaig Sessions, Part Three

We’ll have more strong ones today, all by one single (and excellent) independent bottler.

Laphroaig 1996/2014 (56.2%, Malts of Scotland, Lindores Whisky Fest 2014, brandy hogshead, cask #MoS 14057, 180 bottles)

A brandy hogshead, that’s rather unusual. Ex-cognac wood? Colour: white wine. Nose: there is, indeed, something slightly raisiny floating in the air, but other than that, it’s pure clean coastal Laphroaigness, with a lot of iodine, fresh oysters, and only a mild medicinal side. Not much oak, all for the better. With water: perfect! The camphor comes out, together with some mint, eucalyptus and hints of bicycle inner tube. Linoleum. Swims extremely well. Mouth (neat): it’s sweet youngish Laphroaig, an excellent distillate, full of rooty notes, some lemon, a clean smokiness, a little pepper and very few raisins. Perhaps. Very crisp. With water: it’s really sweet now, rounder, with some peach jam, for example. From the brandy wood? Finish: quite long, a little leafy, earthy… Creosote, cherry stem tea, leaves… Comments: this baby doesn’t behave the same way once diluted, nose (crisp) and palate (round) become really different. Fun stuff. SGP:567 - 88 points.

Another 1996…

Laphroaig 1996/2013 (56.2%, Malts of Scotland, bourbon, cask #13028, 213 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: really different and maybe a little butyric. Warm custard, crème au beurre, herbs, mud, seawater… I find this baby very intriguing I have to say. Damp earth… With water: oh, wet cardboard, raw wool, gravel, ink… Rain on Islay, I’d say. No big smoke. Mouth (neat): rather soft at first, but then there’s the expected peat blast. Wham! Lots of citrus as well, lemon, big pepper, a saltiness… A funny two-step arrival, and that would work every time you take another sip. With water: some lovely tropical fruits coming out. Pink grapefruits, perhaps. A little brine as well. Finish: good length, but it’s all relatively smooth after the funny arrival. The pink grapefruits are still there in the aftertaste. Comments: several Laphroaigs for the price of one! Quality remains high, as expected. SGP:547 - 87 points.

And another 1996…

Laphroaig 1996/2012 (56.1%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 12041, 240 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: a smoky and dry one, reminiscent of the Shinanoya that we had yesterday. Gunpowder, fumes, leaves, tobacco, walnuts, engine oil, bacon, bitter chocolate… Need I say more? With water: ink, old books, more fumes, more bacon, liquid smoke, lamp oil, dried porcinis… All this is very dry and smoky, I can’t find any fruitiness. Wait, after a good fifteen minutes, some raisins and dates arise… Mouth (neat): something of an heavy Demerara rum at first sips, with also something slightly grapey, and then it’s an avalanche of pepper, cloves, bitter oranges, leather, tobacco, salted liquorice… With water: the dried fruits come out right at first sipping this time. Some kind of peppery and smoky raisins. Finish: long, miraculously balanced. Perfect smoky sherry. Comments: hard to beat if you like both sherry and peat. Ten more years and it would reach 92/93, no doubt about that. SGP:557 - 90 points.

Enough 1996, let’s have some potent 1998s…

Laphroaig 1998/2014 (55.9%, Malts of Scotland, for Whisky Messe Nürnberg, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 14002, 155 bottles)

More sherry, more extravagance I guess. Colour: amber. Nose: a sweeter sherry this time, and a mild smoke – and a discreet Laphroaigness. A little leather plus plenty of figs, raisins, dates, then moss and damp earth, pine needles… A walk in the forest after the rain with a large pack of sultanas in your hands, I’d say. And a gun, as there is some gunpowder. Much more herbal liqueur after ten minutes, smoky chartreuse? With water: it’s the dry smoke, as well as roasted chestnuts and toasted bread that come out. Got drier this time. Mouth (neat): very creamy and very sweet, before more pepper comes in. Liquid honey, orange liqueur, sauternes… Was that PX? With water: a kind of sweet syrup that tends to dominate the distillate. And we all know that it’s not easy to dominate Laphroaig. Finish: quite long, still rather sweet, with an earthy background. A lot of chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: an unusual one. This baby plays with your senses! SGP:657 - 85 points.

A last one…

Laphroaig 16 yo 1998/2014 (58.2%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 14001, 224 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: oh this is smooth and rounded, classic, clean, wonderful sherried peated whisky. No rough edges at all this time, no gunpowder, no bicycle inner tube, and no rubber bands. Smoked earth and soot plus glazed chestnuts, Corinthian raisins, dried pear rinds, and then indeed, more classic Laphroaigness managing to find its way throughout the sherry. Sea air, iodine, smoked almonds, camphor… What a wonderful balance this time! With water: more of all that, plus a little soft curry powder or something. Unless that’s Christmas spices. Mouth (neat): immediate serenity and happiness. Om… I mean, some stunning notes of smoked oranges. Perfect integration this time. With water: some kind of high-end old Banyuls, old sweet wine, old rancio… Amazing. Finish: long, perfect, full, elegant… and magical. Not many sherry casks can produce such clean and profound spirit. Love the ganache in the aftertaste. Comments: it seems that we have a winner! SGP:655 - 92 points.

Session over, but stay tuned…

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