Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 58.4%ABV
Ageing cask: Ex-Bourbon refill
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Whisky Facile
Price: € 179.00 on Whisky Facile
Official website: Whisky Facile
Vote: 90/100
Dealing with Laphroaig as an independent bottler I think is always a challenge, having in mind the glory of the editions of yesteryear compared to the often pale copies made by the distillery today.
Knowing that you have the opportunity to taste something as unique as single casks always are, and at the same time being able to capture the spirit that has made so many fall in love with this distillery.
In this sense, I find it appropriate to use the name of Bessie Williamson, Laphroaig’s historic Distillery Manager, to emphasise the courage and stubbornness required to bottle a spirit that for many is now far from their taste in the official versions.
156 cask strength bottles from a refill ex-bourbon barrel, coming from A.D. Rattray’s warehouses.
Tasting notes
Inevitably peat on the nose, developed in 3D, pushed towards the arboreal and maritime angle, with a damp bonfire of woods, leaves and seaweed grilling seafood. Citrusy tones intertwine with sandalwood incense, toasted juniper berries, Catalan cream, burnt meringues and a balsamic afflatus, between aromatic herbs and mint, that creeps into the nostrils. The alcohol content is impeccably maintained, underlining the elegance of these aromas. At length, barbecued ham.
Crisp and smoky on the palate, it takes up the terrigenous theme of the nose by pumping it up on steroids, with handfuls of salt thrown on the coals, incense worse than in a Sai Baba tour and an explosion of spices (cloves, aniseed, nutmeg) that are heated and overflowing. Fat and full, meat and molluscs pressed on the red-hot iron together with tamarind return, the whole sweet compartment (well present with caramel, meringues and custard) is branded with fire, while the balsamic component becomes mountainous with hints of pine. The marine and savoury side leads the way, and at length an idea of a wet Barbour jacket appears.
Long finish of ash and salt, of seafood and toasted cakes, of spices and balsamic notes.
Explosive and mighty, always bordering on the blustery without ever crossing it, because cask and distillate work in harmony and manage to maintain a masterful balance despite the very high volumes, confirming everything I said in the introduction (written before tasting it): a dram that reconciles with the Laphroaig we all want.