Whisky review, 30yo Laphroaig.

[Stan_Lite]

I've been tasting this over the past dew days and finally got round to putting it into words on my blog this morning.

Here is the review in it's full glory.

Originally Posted by Stan's Blog

I ordered a bottle of this whilst I was home last time but it didn’t arrive until I’d gone away to work again. I got back 3 days ago and the first thing I did, before I unpacked or anything mundane like that, was to unwrap it and pour a glass. I would have done the review before now but I have been busy catching up on stuff and I was enjoying the whisky too much to analyse it fully.

What can I say about this whisky? Well, as a long time fan of Laphroaig, I was looking forward to this immensely. To start with, it’s nothing like any Laphroaig I’ve ever experienced before. It’s considerably darker than the 10yo, the 15yo, the cask strength or the quarter cask, for starters. I would say it’s (to quote the Stranglers) “Golden Brown”. It has taken quite a bit of colour from the oak sherry casks in which it is matured – that’s right, I said sherry casks – it’s the only Laphroaig to be matured in sherry casks, the rest (to my knowledge) are matured in Oak bourbon casks (with the exception of quarter cask and the 40yo which are matured in European oak casks).

The nose confirms the use of sherry casks with a distinct sherry aroma mixed with a bit of oak, peat and smokiness – an altogether well rounded nose which is a pleasure in itself.

So, on to the good bit – the tasting. As expected, the first burst of flavour on the palate is predominantly sherry with plenty of peaty undertones. The most surprising thing is that there is only the slightest hint of the “medicinal” characteristic for which Laphroaig is usually famous. This does not detract from the whisky at all – quite the opposite, given the sweet fruitiness and heavy roundness of the whisky, I think the pungent flavour which dominates the other Laphroaigs would not fit in.
And so to the finish. The finish is extremely long and extremely pleasurable – the smoky peat and sweetness battle for supremacy on the palate for some considerable time after drinking, giving the perfect ending to a highly pleasurable experience.

Conclusion:
With my ‘Friends of Laphroaig’ discount, when ordered from the website, this whisky cost me £190 for the bottle. Was it worth it? I hear you ask. Damn right it was; every penny. Will I buy it again? You bet!

I was a bit dubious as to whether the whisky would taste significantly better than others to justify the price tag – I needn’t have worried, my favourite distillery didn’t disappoint and I am delighted I had the courage to risk the venture.

If you can get a taste of this, do so, it’s a wonderful experience – one which every whisky drinker should share.

Mmmmmmm

Now to start saving for a bottle of the 40yo, in the unlikely event I ever find one.

[Burble]

How peaty is it? I find normal Laphroaig a bit overly peaty for my taste so don't drink it very often.

[Stan_Lite]

The sweetness of the sherry and the long maturation tones down the peatiness of the whisky quite considerably, although it's still evident.

I'll get myself a bottle of the 10yo and compare the two and try to give you a better idea.

[BBx]

I need to buy some Whiskey for someone at work as a Thank you present.

I don't really want to spend over £20 - £25 really... any suggestions? Islay Whiskey has been suggested so far...

BB x

[Stan_Lite]

Islay malts have a very distinctive flavour - almost pungent, to be honest. Unless you know for certain that the person likes Islay malts, I would avoid them to be on the safe side. about the mildest Islay malt I've tried is Bunnahabhain, it's a bit smoother and slightly sweeter than most Islay malts.

If you're not sure, it may be safer to go for something like The Balvenie Doublewood. This is reasonably priced and I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about it - it's a whisky I buy quite often. It tends to be available in most supermarkets at around about your price range. It's a nice Speyside malt with a sweet, fruity, slightly spicy palate and a very nice lingering finish.

[BBx]

Cool. Thanks Stan I will have a butchers for it

BB x

[Burble]

Originally Posted by Bigstan

The Balvenie Doublewood

Yummy!

[Stan_Lite]

Originally Posted by Burble

Yummy!

I know, my mouth's watering at the thought.

[Blackstar]

I was good at the whole "what can you taste in the whisky" at the Cottage meet. I'd like to play it again, but student finances mean it could be hard

[leowyatt]

Never really got on with whisky as most of the stuff I've had was horrid and tasted bad. I'd certainly be willing to give some other stuff a go