Review by: dustbunna
Laphroaig’s annual Càirdeas release first began pivoting from an annual bourbon cask release to different sherry casks and maturations in 2013, with the celebrated Portwood release. 2015 would bring the singular floor maltings Càirdeas matured on site in their warehouse, but between these two bottlings, they released this one, 2014’s Amontillado cask finish. According to John Campbell back when it was released, this had spent 8 years in ex-bourbon followed by 1 year in an Amontillado sherry-seasoned hogshead. At the time this whisky was not reviewed particularly well, which is not surprising given its inescapable comparison to its flanking Càirdeas releases.
Distillery: Laphroaig.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 51.4%.
Age: 9 years, per John Campbell (NAS on label.) Bottled in 2014.
Cask type: Ex-bourbon finished 1 year in Amontillado-seasoned hogsheads.
Price: $82 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 7 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken starting beneath the shoulder (consistent all the way through.)
Nose: coal smoke, sweet wood decay, candied orange peel, white cake, vanilla, hint of cherry cola.
Palate: medium body ~ sweet on arrival, forest floor, TCP, floral notes poking through, cake batter ice cream.
Finish: medium length ~ all on TCP and more sweet forest-y notes, birch beer, autumn leaf-burning smoke in the background.
Conclusion: This almost noses and tastes like if someone managed to bake a Laphroaig cake. It’s really a gorgeous profile, sweet but not overwhelming, and autumnal in a way I’ve not yet encountered with the distillery to-date. Like the 2019 CS Triple Wood, I found this to be extraordinarily consistent all the way through the bottle, neither developing other flavors nor losing anything it offered at first.
Thanks to Federal Agent, I had the chance to try this alongside the 2018 Fino Càirdeas, which very much revealed the two to be sister casks, with similar balance between wood and distillate– but just as Amontillado sherry leans a bit sweeter and rounder than Fino, this 2014 presents a sweeter profile with fewer prickles than the 2018. Personally, I was won over by the Amontillado due to the nostalgia of remembering walking around in autumn when I was young, and the scent of burning leaves tinged the air– a memory deftly captured in the smell and especially the taste of this whisky. A great Laphroaig that does not fit the typecast extreme profile, showcasing a much more gentle side to the distillery than I am used to experiencing.
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 