Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Laphroaig.
Bottler: Elixir Distillers.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 48%.
Age: 7 years. Distilled in 2014. Bottled in 2021.
Cask type: 3 bourbon barrels vatted together.
Price: $90 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 6 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: honey, iodine, grass, liquorice, candied smoked yellow fruits, soot.
Palate: medium body ~ more honey and liquorice, charcoal smoke, clay, clove gumdrops.
Finish: long ~ more of the same from the palate, opens up to salt, seaweed, pipe tobacco.
Conclusion: I often come across young Islay IBs that intermingle in terms of distillery character, such that it’s hard for me to discern young Laphroaigs from Ardbegs, Lagavulins or Caol Ilas. This was one of the sweeter Laphroaigs I’ve tried, and one of the few young IBs that felt unmistakably like Laphroaig, showcasing the wet peat/maritime qualities. I also believe the barrels were first-fill— Laphroaig themselves use many first-fill casks which contribute that sweet, vanillic quality that goes through all the distillery’s core range, particularly the 10yr.
If anything in Laphroaig’s range tasted like this, was marketed widely, and was priced around $60-65, I’d be buying it all the time. This is not a complex whisky, and it’s a tad pricey, but it is a marvelous one that suits my palate quite well. The honey notes are especially welcome against the typical phenolic bite.
Final Score: 87.
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 