Being our favourite distillery, it is really surprising and shameful that we have not had a single review of Laphroaig on this blog. Well, that comes to an end now as we post our first official Laphroaig review with not one but FIVE bottlings!
THE REVIEW
Laphroaig 10 year: The base of where all the great Laphroaigs come from. Iodine, medicinal, seaweed, sublime.
Laphroaig 15 year: A smoother, more elegant version of the 10 year old. You can almost call it the 10 year old's older brother. Has won multiple awards at whisky competitions so taste to find out why.
Laphroaig 25 year: Cask strength and the marriage of aged Laphroaig whiskies matured in both Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon oak casks, this dram is surprisingly refreshing and tangy. You can taste both the sherry and the peat playing in your mouth followed by a long semi-fruity finish. What a great dram!
Laphroaig Quarter Cask: Matured in smaller quarter casks to speed up the maturation process, this experiment has turned out to be a great success for Laphroaig. Jim Murray calls it the closest to the classic Laphroaigs he has tasted 30 years ago. The taste is a little sweeter than a normal Laphroaig and the finish to be long and velvety.
Laphroaig Vintage Dec 1989 17 yr 2007 Feis Ile: Wow! A surprisingly complex Laphroaig for its age. Winey, lemoney, liquorice flavours take the foreground while the typical peat and medicinal flavours of Laphroaig sit nicely in the background. Very highly recommended.
Here's another whisky adventure from our travels to Tokyo. Went to a whisky bar aptly named Wodka Tonic tucked in a little corner near Roppongi hills with D and some friends.
Classic Japanese whisky bar - long wooden table, meticulously ordered shelves of whisky and the prerequisite bartenders in vests and bowties.
Some of the gems we saw at the bar were the Black Bowmore 1964 and Yamazaki 50 year (only 50 bottles available worldwide with a retail price of 1M Yen!). Unfortunately, they were way out of our price range and all we could do was take a whiff of heaven at the table. Fortunately, there were many other excellent whiskies available that were affordable. I now present you the Nikka Yoichi Single Cask 1991 and the Rosebank G&M Connoisseur's Choice 1983.
THE REVIEW
Comments: We liked the fresh fruity nose and taste of this one. Starts with an amazing burst of citrus and ends with elegant wood notes. Another testament to the great whiskies that Japanese are creating in modern times.
THE REVIEW
Comments: Another one of our favourites, the now defunct Rosebank distillery. Triple distilled goodness reveals the characteristic cut grass and floral notes. Light and fluffy, almost velvety texture. Excellent stuff.
