laphroaig four oak

Laphroaig Four Oak (2018)

Laphroaig Four Oak, eh? The name immediately brings out the sceptic in me. Either this is some very creative use of wood, leading to a successful blend of characteristics, or (and I find  this more likely), a lot of wood was needed to try and make this whisky palatable.

Four types of casks were used: ex-bourbon barrels, small quarter casks, virgin American oak barrels, European oak hogsheads. While it isn’t expensive, it isn’t exactly cheap either. If you know where to look, you can get a liter bottle of the Quarter Cask for a decent amount less.

Laphroaig Four Oak (40%, OB, 2018)

Nose: Not unlike what I imagine peated porridge would smell like. Slightly briny too, and lots of coconut, with a touch of barbecue smoke and citrus. A tad shy.
Taste: Weak, ashy, pinch of pepper, some faint medicinal peat, dry. I don’t know, anything else? Not really.
Finish: Cigarette ash. Probably one of the shortest I’ve ever tasted for a heavily peated whisky.

Score: 69

From the distillery that bring us great annual cask strength releases, this is a very disappointing release. What’s up with this? I went hunting for other reviews after I tried the Laphroaig Four Oak, and came across this one by my colleagues at Malt. “Not so much Laphroaig-lite as Laphroaig-shite”, is what Jason called it. Sometimes the truth is harsh.

Power your creative ideas with pixel-perfect design and cutting-edge technology. Create your beautiful website with Zeen now.