To be honest, I haven’t tasted many properly aged Laphroaig (although there are exceptions). Most of ’em just tend to be young-ish. This Laphroaig 1987 21 Years Old from Douglas Laing however, has spend plenty of years inside a cask, before it was bottled as part of the Old Malt Cask range.
What type of cask, you ask? Well, the label says nothing more than refill hogshead, but from the taste of it that hogshead previously contained sherry.
Laphroaig 1987 21 Years Old (50%, Douglas Laing ‘Old Malt Cask’, C# DL4855)
Nose: Where’s the peat? Plenty of sherry, chocolate and caramel, as well as mint and a hint of barbecue smoke. Somewhat reminiscent of the Benromach 10yo 100 Proof. Or actually, very reminiscent.
Taste: Peatier now, but also some soot, licorice and iodine. There’s some smoked paprika powder, cured meat, burnt sugar and a sliver of menthol. Somewhat spicy too. A wee bit of sulphur.
Finish: Dry fruits and smoke. Long.
Rating: 88
If something reminds me of modern day Benromach, that’s usually a good sign. Especially on the nose, this Laphroaig could’ve just as well been made by Benromach. The palate is more Islay-esque. I love it!
Photo: The Whisky Exchange