Review by: dustbunna
The cask-strength annually-released version of Laphroaig 10 practically needs no introduction at this point. Besides going in for the high-octane Càirdeas Triple Wood, this expression is basically all I buy from Laphroaig, especially since their core range is priced absurdly high in my current state. But that’s just fine with me, because I find the intensity of Laphroaig’s flavor seems to lend itself especially well to cask-strength presentation, as though the distillery’s wet-peat, heavily medicinal profile is screaming “go big or go home!” So far, young Laphroaig at cask strength and without chill filtration has failed to disappoint– I’ve had batches 010 and 009 previously, and enjoyed both of them immensely.
Distillery: Laphroaig.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 58.6%. Cask strength.
Age: 10 years. Bottled in 2019.
Cask type: First-fill ex-bourbon barrels.
Price: $70 USD.
Artificial Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 5 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder (consistent through the entire bottle).
Nose: huge butterscotch and vanilla toffee riding over Band-Aids and tar, damp forest floor, birch syrup, water brings out a bit of melon.
Palate: POW ~ thick body that arrives swiftly and almost exactly follows the nose, with the addition of salt and seaweed, water pushes the tarriness and vanilla forward.
Finish: long ~ direct follow-through from the palate, with a bit of pipe smoke added.
Conclusion: It’s almost boring that from batch to batch this is so. damn. consistently. good. That’s not to say they’re all exactly alike, but they have been consistently excellent quality to my taste. 2019 must have been an especially good year for the distillery, because both this and the Càirdeas CS Triple Wood were cracking, and though my bottles of each were open for a number of months, neither one really changed at all with time. This is probably the most straightforward of the batches of 10CS I’ve had, with relatively little development through the palate and finish, but Laphroaig’s modern archetypal phenolic-vanilla profile is presented perfectly here to my taste, with a lot of power behind it, and it delivers entirely on what the nose promises.
Final Score: 88.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 