Review #: 332
Description: Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015
Spirit: Scotch
Background: The 2015 release of Laphroaig’s annual special release, this release contained 100% malt from the distillery’s own malting floor (typically only 20%) and was aged exclusively in Warehouse 1 which is the closest warehouse to the sea. Many of my friends and respected reviews claim this has been the best release so let’s see how it tastes.
Distillery – Laphroaig
Bottler – Laphroaig
Brand – Laphroaig
Selection – N/A
ABV – 51.5%
Age – NAS
Nose – Very punchy with campfire smoke, chocolate, lemon, sea salt, iodine, cherry cordial, grapefruit, buttery pie crust. Really weird and interesting once you get beneath the smoke
Taste – Very creamy with vanilla, butterscotch, candied lemon, custard, barley sugar
Finish – Big hit of ashy peat, sea salt, lemon juice, still a bit of the sweetness from the palate comes through to keep it well balanced. Ashy embers linger a long time with lemon acid
Score: 9
Would I buy a bottle? Yes, even potentially at today’s prices
Thoughts: It can be really interesting to taste bottlings that have long since left, but it can be a double edged sword. I’m certainly happy to taste this as it is a peat lover’s dream. No frills, just complex and smokey and delicious, but now I just wish I had known all those years ago to be able to grab a bottle at MSRP…