Laphroaig 25 yo , 2017 release, 48.9% ABV, UCF, natural colour).Bourbon and 2nd fill oloroso cask matured. (Drample Impressions 29)
If you ask someone who ‘s just even remotely interested in whisky to name an Islay distillery, the odds of it being Laphroaig are pretty decent. In terms of production, it’s the biggest of the Famous Islay Four (alongside Bowmore, Ardbeg and Lagavulin) with a capacity of over 3 million LPA, allowing them to target both supermarket buyers as well as specialized retailers and anything in between. The green glass bottles with white labels are easily recognisable, and in terms of customer relationship building, they have made some brilliant moves in the past: the Friends of Laphroaig program allowing you to ‘lease’ (not own, lease) a plot of 1 square foot of Islay soil, the points you accumulate with every purchase of a Laphroaig bottle leading up to discounts on their products and their “opinions welcome” campaign from a few years back are excellent examples of marketing done right.
On a personal level, Laphroaig 10 was my epiphany whisky when I was in my early 20’s, and for well over a decade I was willing to solemnly swear that peated Islay whisky was all that actually mattered. I didn’t have a cabinet stocked with whisky bottles back then, because I was quite happy going back and forth between Laphroaig 10, quarter cask or Ardbeg 10 and I frankly also didn’t have the knowledge, experience, interest or money to explore what else was out there. After quite a few other eye-opening experiences, Laphroaig has struggled to keep its position as a staple in my cabinet, to put things mildly. I understand why the 10 yo – readily available and still and very much so a flagship for the brand- is presented at 40% ABV, with added colouring and chill filtration, but I don’t necessarily agree with it anymore. And that’s not just down to peat fatigue, but has more to do with the way the decision makers at Beam Suntory have steered the ship in recent times. If you insist on presenting yourself as “the most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies”, while at the same time are releasing watered down, mediocre expressions the likes of Select and Four Oak just to try and snatch up a few extra customers, you’re not being entirely honest about your own baseline. Add to that the often cynical price setting for limited releases and/or anything with an age statement north of the standard 10 year old, and that’s pretty much where yours truly disembarks.
However, when they do get things right, it’s, in my opinion, an absolutely fantastic whisky. So when presented with the opportunity to try a sample of their 25 year old, I wasn’t going to let that chance go begging. And just to be clear I didn’t roll over like a good boy to do so, but I was kindly given a sample by Fredrik Hansson from the ‘A Dram Divided’ YT channel.
So to conclude this little series on Islay whiskies, it’s time to put the Tom Haverford mantra into practice: treat yourself!
On the nose: Sweet and peaty. Cherries, a funky sweet medicinal note (antiseptic/iodine), licorice root going into a soft ginger spiciness. It comes across quite oily and syrupy with some treacle. Chocolate covered raisins which over time develop into a rich wine note and some soft, gentle wood. There’s very little smoke and the peat is outnumbered by the sweet spice and fruit notes. I could nose this puppy all evening and just be very happy. Absolutely stunning!
On the palate the medicinal notes are less obvious, while the peat and smoke make a comeback, but not in an aggressive way. On the contrary: they are just so well integrated with notes of dried fruit (raisins, dried plums), dark, slightly bitter chocolate and a whole bag of spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, clove…) combined with that full, oily/syrupy body. This might be ‘just’ a 2nd fill oloroso cask but it’s still very active and flavourful. There’s nothing overly oaked or overaged about this, as this whisky is just blooming, achieving its full potential.
It all leads into a very satisfying finish: long and lingering with soft, drying notes of peat, spices and dried fruit sweetness.
This is a brilliant whisky, truly one to ‘treat yourself’. You will however be forking out the cash on this one, as their 25 yo releases are easily north of €300, in some places even all the way up to €600. As I am a firm believer that when it comes to intrinsic quality of flavour and taste, no whisky is worth over €250-€300, you’ll probably see my dilemma here too. Now, we are all entitled to a little folly every so often, and this qualifies as a folly purchase. Big time. If you can’t bring yourself to paying several hundred euros or pounds for a bottle of whisy – you are of course absolutely right, but fear not, as this is where festivals, tastings and the better whisky bars come into play I think. If you get the chance to try one at reasonable cost, by all means: spoil yourself and indulge. It’s a superb whisky, ticking off all the right boxes bare the price tag.
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