Laphroaig Cairdeas 2022 Warehouse 1

Review by: The Muskox

I’ll catch up on Cairdeas reviews eventually. I’m not quite as high on Laphroaig as I think many others around here are, but I do like to check out those releases when they come around. This year’s shtick is a little different – instead of a fancy wine finish or a cask-strength version of a standard release, this bottling is focused on maturation in Laphroaig’s original seaside warehouse.

Distillery: Laphroaig

Bottler: Official bottling

Region: Islay

ABV: 52.2%. Cask Strength.

Age: No age statement. Bottled in 2022.

Cask type: First-fill bourbon barrels.

Price: $145 CAD.

Color: Straw. Natural Color. Non-Chill Filtered.

Nose: Hey, it’s Laphroaig – bandages, iodine, creosote, and seashore. There’s also a sweeter, ex-bourbon-ier side to the dram: smoky cream soda and sugar-dusted funnel cakes. Tangerine peels. Grassy. Cumin seeds. Just a hint of stewed-beef-brisket meatiness.

Palate: Oily texture. Arrives with apples and seawater, developing to surprisingly gentle peat reek, then sort of a fragrant grassiness. Sweet notes of roasted fennel and vanilla. Hints of lemongrass and green tea. Sort of a musty oregano note. Coal smoke and slate dust on the back end.

Finish: Medium-length. Citrus zests, pears, and a hint of banana. Fennel seeds and white pepper. Muddy hay and seawater. Creamy vanilla and maybe even some matcha.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Hedgerow separating swanky marinas”

Conclusion: It’s great! And, I think, acceptably different from most other ex-bourbon Laphroaigs to warrant interest. It has that fragrant green-tea grassy character that I usually only get from much older Laphroaig, as well as great fragrant sweetness. It doesn’t quite have the meaty savoury notes of the 10 Cask Strength. This is a rare Laphroaig where I feel like I could plausibly and responsibly drink something else after it.

Final Score: 86.

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.

Leave a comment