Laphroaig Cairdeas 2021 PX Casks

Review by: The Muskox

I tried this whisky, and even purchased a bottle, right when it was released. I’m slightly ashamed to have kept my bottle sealed for so long, but with the rate that I’ve been pouring whisky for friends lately, this is probably going to get cracked soon. In the meantime, I found a sample of this whisky in my cabinet, so, combined with my brief notes from 2021, I can share a review.

Distillery: Laphroaig.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 58.9%. Cask strength.

Age: No age statement. Bottled in 2021.

Cask type: Initially matured in bourbon barrels, then transferred to ex-bourbon quarter casks, then finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Price: My bottle was $105 CAD in 2021.

Color: 1.5, Auburn. No colour added. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Savoury and sweet. Fatty smoked meats doused in tangy barbeque sauces. Salted licorice, oysters, crispy bacon. Toasted sesame seeds and extra-dark chocolate. Orange in there, and some darker fruits if you squint.

Palate: Medium-heavy body. Quite sweet throughout – chewy caramels, orange, and chocolate covered berries. Don’t think it’s not peaty though. Loads of iodine and sea salt. Beef bourguignon in booze form. Flamed cedar planks, and strong black tea.

Finish: Medium-long, sweet and peaty. Pure lapsang souchong. Carbolic peat and iodine. Raspberries and herbs. Chocolate cake. Cherry cola??

Notes: Sometimes, young-ish peated whiskies with strong wine-cask finishes just taste like the cask plastered over top of the spirit. This whisky is slightly more than that, as the PX enhances the richness of the peat, and the peat brings out some earthier, chocolatey notes from the PX cask. It’s not my favourite Cairdeas, partly since I prefer Laphroaig in mellower casks.

I had one of the best cocktails of my life in Lisbon a couple years ago – it was made with Amaro Lucano, Fernet Branca, rioja, fermented raspberries, and Coke. The finish tastes like the peated version of that. What a helpful comparison that completely helps you dear readers understand what I’m tasting.

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.

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