Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Laphroaig
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 Years
ABV: 48 %
Date: 14/06/2014
“Mainstream Laphroaig”
Colour: Bright Gold. (Caramel added).
Nose: The first impression is classic Laphroaig with Campfire Smoke, Maritime Peat, light Iodine, Tar, Burnt Rubber, BBQ, Toast and Salted Butter, Today's Newspaper, Ashes, Leather, Damp Cellar and Wet Grass. But all quite subdued and not as fierce as for instance in the 10 Years. But there is much more to this Laphroaig. When the fog has lifted I find Toffee, Smoked Almonds, Espresso, Menthol, Heather, Honey, Bitter Chocolate, Oak, Sweet Barley, Biscuits, Citrus and some Herbal Tea. In the end the Nose, though not spectacular, is quite balanced and smooth. Certainly for a Laphroaig!
The Malt Floor at Laphroaig!
Palate: Maritime Peat, light Smoke, Ashes, slightly Burned Bacon, Toffee, Dried Apricot, Aniseed, Menthol, Licorice, Salted Almonds, Heather, Oak, Wood Spice, Straw and Grass.
The Kiln at Laphroaig!
Finish: Quite Long and Dry towards the end with Maritime Peat, light Smoke, Ashes, Toast and Salted Butter, Oak, Aniseed, Licorice, Bitter Chocolate with Orange Flavour, Menthol, Black Pepper and hints of Salted Bacon and Tobacco.
The Stills at Laphroaig!
The Laphroaig 18 years does not need Water. You get too much Caramel, Toffee and Spices in my opinion.
Rating: 88
Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22
The Writer at the Gates of Heaven!
General Remarks. The 18 years was introduced in 2009 and replaced the highly successful 15 years. The 18 years is bottled at a higher 48% and is not Chill-Filtered. The average price amounts to around 100 US Dollars.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: The Laphroaig 18 years is certainly not a very complex Single Malt although it has some interesting Salty and Menthol elements. If you want to get to know Laphroaig, the 18 years might be an excellent place to start. It has most of the Laphroaig characteristics but never in an aggressive way. And they are accompanied by other tones as well. As a result, the Laphroaig 18 years is a very balanced, polished, smooth Single Malt. If you like Lagavulin 16 Years, you will love this one as it benefits from the higher ABV. If the 10 years is savage and rugged, the 18 years is accessible and smooth. Mainstream but in "the Laphroaig way".
Laphroaig Distillery!
The Laphroaig Distillery.
Some Data: Laphroaig is located 2 miles east of Port Ellen on the isle of Islay, not far from Ardbeg and Lagavulin. It was founded in 1810 by two brothers, Alexander and Donald Johnston and received its license in 1815. Nowadays it is owned by Beam Inc. It's one of the few remaining distilleries with its own Maltings, accounting for around 15% of their total needs. The rest comes from the Port Ellen Malting Facility and/or the Scottish mainland. It is also the only distillery on Islay that holds a Royal Warrant, granted by Prince Charles in 1994. The Distillery possesses a large stainless steel Mash Tun, 6 Wash Backs (Stainless Steel), 3 Wash Stills and 4 Spirit Stills. In 2013 they produced 3,2 million litres. Laphroaig means Beautiful Hollow by the Broad Bay.
The Famous Peat Smoke at Laphroaig!
The water for the distillery is sourced from the nearby Kilbride Dam. The Distillery is open all year (Monday - Friday 09.30 to 17.30) and from March to December also on Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 - 16.00. The standard tour costs 3 pounds and there are various in-depth tours as well. If you become a Friend of Laphroaig (free of charge) you become the owner of a square foot of Laphroaig land. Along with a certificate, you can actually plant your flag on the land and, once per year, collect your rent in the form of a dram!
A Friendly Welcome at the Visitor Centre!
We visited Laphroaig on Thursday May 15, 2014. We opted for the Standard & Flavour Tour and were lucky again! We did the Standard Tour with only a small group. Our hostess was very knowledgeable and sympathetic. Then we had a very pleasant private Tasting Session in the lounge with David. Lots of fun! We tasted the 10 Year, the Select, the Quarter Cask, the 18 Years and the 25 Years. The Visitor Centre and Shop are quite nice. It's a pity they only sell miniatures of the 10 Years. On the other hand you are allowed to take pictures wherever you want. If we were challenged to nominate the best overall visitor experience, we would certainly choose Laphroaig!
The Famous Warehouse at Laphroaig!
We really liked our visit to Laphroaig. Great Tour and Great People. Later in the week we just passed by again to have a dram with David. We truly became Friends of Laphroaig!
Flavour Tasting at Laphroaig!
Jan van den Ende June 14, 2014
