Review by: The Muskox

This whisky created quite a buzz when it was released, at least in my whisky-starved part of the world. I’m already a fan of Triple Wood and the various sherried Cairdeases, so I was looking forward to trying this (though completely unwilling to pay the $120 CAD that some less-scrupulous stores were hawking it for).

Also, what the hell, it’s apparently been a year since I reviewed a Laphroaig??

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Distillery: Laphroaig.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 48%.

Age: 10 years. Bottled in 2022.

Cask type: First-fill herring barrique.

Price: Finished in European oak Oloroso sherry casks.

Color: e150. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Sweet Laphroaig is still Laphroaig. Bandaids, salted licorice, seaweed, and iodine. Montreal-style smoked meat sandwich on rye with whole-grain mustard (how’s that for a specific note!). There’s a grilled hot-dog character that really reminds me of Ballechin. That sweetness though – there’s raisins, chocolate orange, cherry soda, and maple syrup, as well as baking spice and a hazelnutty creaminess. Manuka honey is actually in Laphroaig’s official tasting notes for this whisky, and I’ve found that in here as well.

Palate: Medium-thick texture. No heat. Very sweet on the arrival – black cherries, red table grapes, maple-glazed bacon. Hazelnut and tangerine. Darker and smokier as it develops – deep earthy woods, dead campfire, and tobacco leaves. A little bit of honey-glazed ham. Everything is encrusted with brown sugar.

Finish: Slightly thinner than expected. Charcoal. Amber maple syrup, dark honey, pomegranate juice, crisp bacon, and dark chocolate. A hint of black licorice and cloves. Lingering sugar-syrupy sweetness with very little peat.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Old-timey deli soda fountain”

Conclusion: It’s a good whisky, but I don’t think it’s a great one. The nose is delicious and fairly balanced, but the sherry really takes over on the sip. It’s a bit unfortunate for this whisky that my recent point of comparison is the 2021 PX-cask Cairdeas. That whisky was about as sweet as this one, but had much more savoury and smoky depth. I don’t think this is as good as Triple Wood, either.

Final Score: 82.

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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.