| |
Residence
1000’s of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Assured ad-free
copyright 2002-2021
|
 |
|
| Hello, that is one among our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
October 21, 2021
|
|
  |
|
Laphroaig until the five hundredth, then extra
|
|
I simply realised that for months, our Laphroaig counter has remained frozen like winter in northern Siberia (hopefully), on 494 totally different expressions. Time to attempt to make that 500+ in the event you do not thoughts, and to discover a correct glory as our #500. No worries, we have ammo, however first, some apéritif… Anticipate some randomness too, as an excessive amount of order can carry boredom and despair (fairly). By the best way, farewell John Campbell!
|
 |
|
|
Laphroaig 10 yo (40%, OB, +/-2021) 
Color: gold. Nostril: at all times gauze, iodine, bandages, these forgotten hessian jute luggage that have been saved close to the outdated oil tank, then quite extra sweetness, maple syrup maybe, then simply the standard seawater, brine and ashes. Maybe a bit of mild, however appropriately medicinal. Mouth: superb, brings again recollections, with gherkin brine, lapsang souchong, ashes and granny smith. The one drawback is that these 40% vol. type of kill it, as they at all times did since we first did wee tasting periods opposing the 40 and the 43. Worlds aside and apologetic appears to be like from everybody on the distillery, again within the days. The great outdated early Web days, when some manufacturers hadn’t change into autistic but. End: good, very Laphroaig, however disappointingly flattish, which might result in a dry and cardboardy aftertaste. Feedback: coitus interruptus, nearly homicide. But, the distillate is ideal and doubtless simply price 88 when at 46% vol. Taxes? What taxes? Do not the opposite distillers pay taxes too?
SGP:337 – 83 factors. |
|
|
Laphroaig ‘Quarter Cask’ (48%, OB, +/-2021) 
One of many first official expressions the place they cancelled the age statements and began to interchange time with wooden (and the next bottling energy certainly). We had thought this was stunning again within the days, however’s it true that the top outcomes, in you glass, have been fairly nice. A lot water has flowed beneath the bridge since then. Color: gold. Nostril: the ten was tighter, this one’s acquired extra vanilla and bananas from some well-prepared American oak. That roundness first clashes a wee bit with the in any other case quite straight distillate, however all is effectively ultimately, with some pretty medicinal tones, cough syrup, additionally lemon curd, some marzipan and maybe a handful of winkles within the background, which provides to the coastalness certainly. Yep, works with cockles and clams too. Mouth: a bit of too candy for me now, as if they’d additional cranked-up the oaky sweetness. The oak actually feels, frankly. Some bitter fruits. I discover it exhausting and the little 10 actually kills it now. End: lengthy, too oaky, gingery, bittersweet, with a sense of white sugar on prime of that. I discover it fairly dissonant. Feedback: all was going effectively on the nostril however this dissonant and ‘un-married’ palate simply did not work for me. We’ll attempt to attempt the QC once more subsequent 12 months, if God lets us dwell.
SGP:665 – 78 factors. |
|
Let’s get our heads proper, with…
|
|
|
Williamson 10 yo 2011/2021 (59.9%, Asta Morris, sherry, cask #AM083, 674 bottles) 
Certainly, Williamson is Laphroaig, the identify refers to legendary former supervisor Bessie Williamson (some say she was having an affair with a sure Dutch dentist however shh, we now have no proof). Color: gold. Nostril: however after all. Tighter, purer, pleasantly freed from any extreme oak this time, all on seawater, mercurochrome, simply peat smoke, seaweed smoke, lemons and gunflints. With water: sharp, millimetric, pure, smoky and medicinal. These trademark whiffs of latest Wellingtons too. Mouth (neat): it’s a little sweetly creamy and wealthy (lemon gums, banana foam) at first however all this smoke and brine positively put it aside at 60% vol. With water: additional destroys the Quarter Cask, even when it isn’t probably the most complicated Laphroaig ever. Purity at all times works. End: quite lengthy, superb, with some smoked almonds coming by, in addition to bitter oranges. Feedback: you will not need to scratch your head right here, all is effectively.
SGP:457 – 87 factors. |
|
|
Williamson 2010/2020 (52.2%, The Whisky Jury, refill barrel, cask #twj-Lph01, 230 bottles)
The cask # leaves no doubts, ought to some have remained in our minds. Ah by the best way, these Williamsons technically are blended malts. Color: straw. Nostril: even much less oak, extra tar, extra petrol, the ground of an outdated storage in England, almonds, contemporary walnuts, maybe one olive, and everybody’s completely happy. With water: embrocations. How very Laphroaig. Mouth (neat): nearer to the Asta Morris, even when a bit of purer and tighter but. Rhubarb juice, marzipan, liquorice wooden, lemon… With water: lapsang souchong, ashes, grape pips. End: quite lengthy, saltier as anticipated, and fairly ashy. Would you already know of any cough medication that may be salted? I imply other than seawater? Feedback: test.
SGP:457 – 87 factors. |
|
|
Lp12 2014/2021 (54.7%, Elixir Distillers, Components of Islay, 1672 bottles) 
Boy was this one younger! It is from 2 refill and a couple of sherry hogsheads. Color: white wine. Nostril: nearer to the uncooked distillate but, that’s to say with extra tincture of iodine, creosote, hessian, seawater and kerosene. Whiffs of fresh-cut grapefruit are including a type of lightness. With water: bingo. Pure younger Laphroaig with out artifice. Totally love these whiffs of used engine oil. Will future era even know what engine oil was? Will they use ‘recycled batteries’ as a substitute? Mouth (neat): oh effectively finished! You are feeling it is younger however what they have been doing with the woods managed to filter-out any undesirable roughness, with out imparting any apparent ‘oakiness’ (as within the official QC). Very pretty, with some menthol that we hadn’t encountered earlier than, lime, agave, gentian… Me completely happy. With water: good. Beautiful lemon brine, olive oil and sardines, all put collectively right into a tin, fur future picnics ‘on Laphroaig’. End: quite lengthy, crystalline, good. Feedback: the mouthfeel was good too. We’re nearly going for 90, at 6 or 7 years of age!
SGP:467 – 89 factors. |
|
Time to decide on our #500…
|
|
|
Laphroaig 10 yo (43%, OB, for Cinzano Italy, unblended, +/- 1985) 
I’ve tried this one earlier than, however that was in 2004, from one other bottle after all, and within the very early days of Whiskyfun. Identical to that of Macallan, or say Bowmore, the repute of Laphroaig has been constructed on these very outdated batches, within the case of Laphroaig batches of the ten (generally the 15). |
|
|
Color: white wine. Nostril: a stroll within the woods, surrounded with pine timber, fir timber, eucalyptus, cedar… I am undecided these timber would develop effectively collectively however there, poetic license you already know. There’s quite much less of these tropical extravaganzas that have been to be present in different variations of the ten (Bonfanti, Filippi, Buckingham Vile…) however so far as numerous embrocations go, you could not go any farer than this. Fairly some plasticine too. Having stated that, I had observed some mangos again in 2004, however these bottles have now gotten 17 years older, have they not. Mouth: no, there, maracuja and mangos, served with grapefruit and crème de menthe. Touches of bitter apples too, however all in all, this outdated Laphroaig has advanced identical to any nice wine would have (albeit at a slower tempo, naturally). You may by no means fin this oily, tertiary type of complexity in a ‘new’ bottle. End: medium, quite resinous, with a couple of pretty sappy touches, a discreet smoke after which some fats fish. Not speaking about any politicians right here. Within the aftertaste and as nearly at all times with these bottles, hints of outdated natural liqueurs, particularly chartreuse ‘after all’. Feedback: in all probability not the ‘utter finest’ outdated Laphroaig 10, partly as a result of it is acquired a bit of fragile right here and there, however as they are saying, the legend was en route.
SGP:464 – 91 factors. |
|
Good, now that we have had our five hundredth, we are able to rejoice… (tsk-tsk, any excuses…) And since we have talked about Bonfanti and Filippi…
|
|
|
Laphroaig 10 yo (40%, OB for Bonfanti, Italy, screw cap, mid Seventies)
Pure legend however we have principally tried Bonfantis at 43% vol. So, this is perhaps a bit of totally different… Color: gold. Nostril: I believe I can hear the angels sing (however why are thy singing Frank Zappa?) Fruit and veggies, strictly all of them, this might make Fortnum & Mason’s Meals Corridor look ridiculous compared. For instance, I am discovering plantain, hops, salsify, jujubes, carrots, prickly pears, papayas, citrons, eggplants, celeriac, pink bananas, avocado, pistachio, lovage, celery, chives, wee white onions, ‘aircraft’ mangos… What a soup certainly, that is merely staggering. I believe I am going to need to go to mattress early tonight. Mouth: did you name the Anti-Maltoporn brigade but? Begins with some sudden raisins and dried longans, and would go on with myriads of dried, candied, stewed or preserved fruits. Truly, it’s quite much less on contemporary tropical fruits than I remembered, however for instance, these dried figs coated with salted honey and butter caramel sauce are in all probability extra addictive than any violent and perverse sequence on Internet-f*****g-flix. And fewer toxic. End: medium and grand. These dried figs once more. Feedback: as we have been asking earlier than, who’s damaged the mould?
SGP:653 – 94 factors. |
|
|
Laphroaig 10 yo (40%, OB for Filippi Import, Italy, quick screw cap, late Sixties)
Gasp, I believe we’d like air… It is to be famous that the ‘quick screw cap’ is older than the ‘lengthy screw cap’. Color: gold. Nostril: I believe we’ll maintain this quick. Extra mangos than on a mango tree, and extra medicinal ‘issues’ than within the basement an outdated deserted hospital (on Netflix). All important oils, plant extracts and secret ointments of the creation, some in all probability long-forgotten. And oh, these mangos! Mouth: flooring you, actually. We have had different bottles that had gotten a bit of drying (bear in mind no two bottles stay the identical after so a few years) however this one remained good, tight, contemporary, and eminently mango-y. Maracuja too, dried fish, kippers, grapefruits, a bit of chalk, lapsang souchong, beeswax, dried longans and rambutans, raisins even… End: loses a little bit of steam at this stage. We can’t blame it. Feedback: it misplaced one level on the end however there isn’t a must throw a match, I suppose.
SGP:654 – 93 factors. |
|
The place are we? Ah, there…
|
|
|
Laphroaig ‘Outdated Scotch Whisky’ (20 beneath proof, OB, early Sixties)
It is a first. It comes from a particularly uncommon miniature. Color: gold. Nostril: completely totally different, this time with extra roots, celeriac, gentian, carrots, turnips and parsnips, additionally artichokes… Cautious as a result of in my meagre expertise, when noses have change into like this and nevertheless nice they could have change into, the palates are sometimes wrecked, flat, lifeless and even foul. Let’s test that subito presto… Mouth: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halleeeee-lu-jah! No indicators of any weaknesses, quite small citrus and dried fruits all over the place, raisins once more, mulberries maybe, figs for certain, camphor and plenty of sorts of outdated cough medicines (bear in mind, the recipes have been misplaced), and simply, guess what, peat! Past that, a really pretty pine-y improvement, mead, fir honey, roasted pinecones, verbena, and naturally, chartreuse. End: not that lengthy however you could possibly nonetheless really feel ‘the kiln’. No, actually. The aftertaste’s fairly medicinal once more. Outdated cough syrups. Feedback: what’s putting while you attempt these wonderful outdated malts is that nowhere do you truly really feel ‘oak’, not to mention awful vanilla or worse, vanillin. And within the outdated ‘sherry monsters’, you don’t really feel wine both. Hope there wasn’t one mini of this left for the entire world ;-). Unimaginable peatiness after so a few years.
SGP:555 – 95 factors. |
|
Good, maybe one or two newer bottlings now, earlier than we name this a tasting session? We would additionally prefer to revise a couple of outdated Laphroaigs Samaroli however we’ll do this, say for Christmas.
|
|
|
Laphroaig 1991/2019 (52.1%, Or Sileis, Taiwan, refill bourbon barrel, cask #2652, 265 bottles)
With a kraken on the label. Given the nasty high quality of that ‘rum’ additionally branded ‘Kraken’, I’d have gone for a special animal as a substitute, even perhaps a blob or a paramecium, however certainly, not my enterprise ;-). Love our whisky buddies in Taiwan! Color: straw. Nostril: the utter pleasures of refill wooden, with none wooden affect as such, that is solely wooden as ‘a facilitator’, not as a ‘flavouring agent’. Lengthy story quick, that is pristine contemporary and pure Laphroaig that is taken its time and was by no means rushed. Very good lemons, seawater, oysters, contact of aniseed, and simply hints of caraway and juniper. Luminous and apparent (bravo, S.) With water: better of Pouilly-Fumé. I do know I should not at all times use wine references, that that is too simple, however actually, I am not discovering an outline higher than ‘Pouilly-Fumé’. Mouth (neat): improbable, ultra-tight, salty, ueber-vertical, blade-y. Terrifyingly vertical! With water: cuts you into halves, as we generally say. The menthol within the background is flabbergasting too. Chalk, lemon, peat, brine, menthol. End: lengthy, ultra-clean, bone-dry, with extra ashes and even a sense of carbon mud. Feedback: it certain wasn’t simple to come back after a Cinzano, a Bonfanti and a Filippi. This wee Kraken (!) got here out with an actual blaze of glory.
SGP:467 – 91 factors. |
|
One other newer outdated one please…
|
|
|
Laphroaig 30 yo (53.6%, Hunter Laing, The Kinship, 344 bottles, 2020)
There’s some cocketry for certain in not stating the classic whereas there clearly is one, in keeping with the dimensions of the batch. Or am I lacking one thing? What’s certain is that this far, this Kinship sequence has been nothing wanting stellar. However they’re people so they may fail, I am certain (cavernous and sardonic laughter)… Color: mild gold. Nostril: not this time, apparently. Outdated books, carbon paper, magazines, plasticine, wooden varnish, French beans, mashed peas, carbolineum, brake fluid, kelp, peonies, hibiscus… It certain is not your ‘common’ Laphroaig and a few transmutations appear to have taken place, however I discover this nostril gorgeous this far. Except it might all go pear-shaped to any extent further… With water: truffles, mashed potatoes, carbon, newspaper of the day, Brussels sprouts, kelp, oysters. Who stated this one could be uncommon? Mouth (neat): oh! It’s a wrestler on the palate, with some very ‘inexperienced’, nearly acidic arrival on concentrated lime juice, some varnish, then a loud and clear feeling of mezcal. Which, as at all times, leaves me speechless (who stated thank God, who?) With water: gorgeous salty bouillons plus, as soon as once more, Pouilly-Fumé, kippers, wax, lemon, and a few pink pepper carefully. End: sadly. Feedback: they wanted 100 years to construct cathedrals, you want 30 years to construct nice whisky. Is smart, no?
SGP:466 – 91 factors (nearly 92). |
|
A final one for the highway…
|
|
|
Laphroaig 18 yo 1995/2013 (58.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, refill bourbon barrel, #29.143, ‘End Tar Syrup’, 226 bottles)
End Tar Syrup? Would not that quite be Finnish Tar Syrup? I’d suppose you owe me a beer subsequent time I am in Edin, expensive SMWS! Color: white wine. Nostril: nail polish remover, plasticine, linseed oil, outdated tarry ropes, carbolineum, mushrooms, damp ashes, mud, plaster. In brief, yet one more variation on the Laphroaig theme. With water: inexperienced apples, cider apples, apple peelings, and simply something apples. One other first on WF, that is sensible. There’s much less apple in correct Calvados, in the event you ask me. Mouth (neat): completely huuuuge! Very aggressive, acetone-y, tough, extraordinarily dry. Mega-smoke and ashes. Cautious with my coronary heart and palate, SMWS! With water: I’d say we tamed it, however barely. I’d add that you just could not recognise the make, for it’s so deviant, excessive, and, effectively, varnishy. Have they not quite bottled the boiler’s oil by mistake? Do they now develop apple timber behind the distillery? End: lengthy, ultra-tight, acetic, acidic, nearly chemical at occasions, and greener then grass. Surprising touches of coconut wine within the aftertaste (no, actually). Feedback: enjoyable Laphroaig, completely deviant certainly, and excessive. These will not be fairly scorable, in reality.
SGP:475 – 85 factors. |
|
(Thanks mucho Aaron, Jon, Nick and François)
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
