Showing posts with label Laphroaig 10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laphroaig 10. Show all posts

Laphroaig 10 Years Review


Country: Scotland
Brand: Laphroaig
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Islay
Age: 10 Years
Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Pale Gold. Even so, it contains Caramel.

Nose: Very interesting. Peat, Light Smoke, Heather, Malt, Iodine, Leather, Salt and a nice sweetness that holds everything else together.

Taste: The oily delivery coats the palate with Seaweed, Shellfish, Liquorice, Peat, a bit of Black Pepper, Salt and Iodine. There is some sweetness there as well but it’s more like in beer as in sherry. This is the exact point where it differs from the Bowmore Enigma. It’s still quite smooth though!

Finish: At first middle long and dry with Liquorice, Nuts and Light Ashes lingering on for quite a while. After 15 minutes or so the peat is back and it’s like you’ve tasted a handful of Wet Clay.

Rating:  85.5

Nose: 22,5– Taste: 21 – Finish: 21 – Overall: 21

General Remarks: I was expecting heavy Smoke but in reality it was well restrained. I missed the Sherry kind of sweetness of Bowmore on the palate. I added a bit of water and the nose became almost friendly like a Speyside. I thought I noticed a bit of ripe fruit even. On the palate it gets too watery too quick and I advise you to drink it straight.

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Good.

Conclusion: First of all the green bottle and the white label reminded me of a bottle of cough syrup from the old days. But I will take this medicine any time nurse! 

Actually, while tasting the Laphroaig 10 Y I got images of eating wet clay during a barbecue in a Sushi Bar somewhere along the coastline of Islay with a pint of ale at the side!. That sums it up pretty well I think. I strongly feel that this type of whisky is better off when bottled at cask strength or at least at 46%. And it should not be chill-filtered! Summarising, this single Malt is certainly special in its own way but for the time being the first matches in the Islay Whisky Competition ended as follows: Ardbeg Islanders 1 Bowmore Legends 0 and Bowmore Legends 2 - Laphroaig Peat Monsters 1.

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 13, 2011