Well my fun week continued and other things got in the way of a second post last week, which always annoys me. The air conditioner completely gave out Thursday and all of us ended up sleeping downstairs. While a bit of a novelty I wasn't super interested in whiskey for a few days. Tonight however, I am again.
I've already written about Laphroaig, pretty early in this blogs existence. One of the famous Islay distilleries, known for strong influence of peat smoke, it's also only a short walk from Port Ellen where we've stayed on both our visits. If you're visiting distilleries you need to either have a driver or walk, so the path along the southern coast was quite ideal since we didn't bring our car to the island. As I wrote before, some nice parts of visiting Laphroaig distillery are collecting your 'rent' (a free dram) as a Friend of Laphroaig, planting a flag in the peat field, and seeing the on-site malting floor. In addition, the stills are displayed prominently and that's an aesthetically cool part of tour, as is the beautiful view of the ocean. A big part of their marketing is over-the-top descriptions of their whisky, provided supposedly by fans. A wall with examples appears at the front of the property. Even though their whisky is the favorite of my wife (and the Prince of Wales), visiting this distillery wasn't the pinnacle of our stays on Islay, something I'd reserve for Bruichladdich or Ardbeg. The tasting was relatively lame without any unusual or exclusive whiskies to try, at least while we were there. Even so, I'd say it's a must-do experience for whiskey lovers.
The whisky I'm reviewing today is their flagship, the 10 year single malt. Along with Ardbeg 10 and Lagavulin 16, the Laphroaig 10 defines the Islay Scotch whisky region and makes it a force in the industry. For a long time the strongly peated style was essentially contained to this one island. With a rise in popularity however, many mainland distilleries are using it more liberally than in the past. I included this bottle in my starting point recommendations post because it needed a distinctly peated single malt for <$50, and this certainly fits the bill.
I continue to find it humorous and still tell the story of our personal connection to this particular expression. Before our first visit to Scotland in 2016, when I was pretty new to whiskey myself, I made it a mission to find something my wife would like and as a result better enjoy seeing some distilleries. I don't remember everything we tried, but it probably included all or most of: Aberfeldy, Aberlour, Balvenie, Highland Park and Oban. I struck out over and over. Shortly before our departure, I only had one longshot idea remaining. Bringing home a bottle of Laphroaig 10, she somehow loved it immediately. Peat is something that's normally an acquired taste even for long-time whiskey lovers, as it certainly was for me. In this way my wife is an oddball, but I was extremely happy to find her entry into the world. So we set off, happily, already with plans to visit Islay. The first trip went so well we returned a year later, and to this day my wife now and then brings up moving there.
This exact bottle I acquired since the beginning of our latest pregnancy. My wife can't drink it, obvi, though she relishes the smell nearly as much. So when I have some it's almost as much about her getting a sniff as me getting a taste. That's my thought anyway, and I think she's appreciative.
Let's get to it.
ABV - 40% (80 proof)
Maturation - Ex-Bourbon casks, apparently from Maker's Mark
Age - 10 years, at least
Region - Islay
Price - ~$45
Smell - Smack you in the nose with peat smoke, salt, hint of citrus
Color - Light gold
Taste - Medicinal truly the best word, seaweed, wood and fire, pepper, then some sweet fruit
Finish - Delicate spirit with a fairly long finish, dry in the mouth
Final thoughts:
Wow. That's a whisky, and there's nothing quite like it even from the other Islay distilleries. Even though I know what it tastes like, it still somewhat shocks me after a long layoff. Like a fire on the ocean. Medicinal, salt, seaweed, everything above sounds absurd, but that's how it tastes. A real body cleanser. And it's fantastic. Peat without a doubt requires acclimation, for most, but if you're ready to take the plunge this is the bottle I recommend first because behind the peat is a delightfully light and slightly sweet spirit.
For reference, the measured phenols in the barley used by Laphroaig is 45 PPM. This is higher than most (Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Port Charlotte, Bowmore) though lower than Ardbeg (by a bit) and Octomore (by a lot). However, PPM is not the only factor in how peaty a whisky tastes. I still think the Laphroaig 10 is the most clear example of peat out there, that I've found, as it's so cleanly featured and raw.
Alright, time to be done and immerse myself in the gloriousness wafting from this glass.
Lastly though, it's kind of hard to believe, but this is my 100th blog post. Here's to 100 more.
Cheers!
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