Laphroaig 10 Year Old is an iconic Islay single malt whisky, renowned for its heavily peated profile. Expect intense smoke, medicinal iodine, and a hint of seaweed. This whisky captures the bold spirit of Islay and is one of Scotland's most characterful drams. Islay's world-famous Laphroaig distillery is known for its medicinal malts, and its signature 10-year-old is no exception thanks to its full maturation in bourbon barrels, which serves to highlight that individual distillery character. This beauty has won a slew of industry awards over the decades and we love it.
Non-chill filtered for maximum flavour. A must-have for peat lovers!"
Our tasting notes feature a contribution from the longest-serving distillery manager in the brand's history, the wonderful John Campbell, who worked at Laphroaig from 1994 until 2021.
This opens on big, smoky muscular peat notes. There are spices, and liquorice, as well as a big dose of salt. This whisky has become slightly sweeter in recent years, and it appears beautifully on the nose, amidst the classic iodine/sticking plasters and cool wood smoke we love.
Seaweed-led, with a hint of vanilla ice cream and more than a whiff of notes from the first aid box (TCP, plasters etc). The oak is big, and muscles its way into the fore as you hold this whisky over your tongue. An upsurge of spices develop – cardamom/black pepper/chilli.
Big and drying, as the savoury, tarry notes build up with an iodine complexity.
The only malt from Laphroaig’s range that John Campbell recommends with water; try it, it opens up the palate massively, providing a dazzling array of additional flavours…
I'm only recently 'getting into' single malts so have tried to sample ones from the different regions to get an overall feel of what's out there. My first island whisky was Ardbeg 10 so perhaps my experience of this whisky was not as neutral as others have been. That said, I really, really like it. Not as much of a punch in the face as the Ardbeg imo but seems to have more of a balance of flavours and a lovely lingering finish that was evocative of rotting seaweed. It's (like Ardbeg) an odd one: You should not enjoy these flavours! Yet, they seem to work for me. Takes me away to holidays in west Scotland as a nipper or to any cold, wet and windy beach on these Isles. Wonderful stuff but a bit like Marmite I guess, which I also like :)
I've been trying to think of a smell/flavor to compare it to. Finally came up with the waterproofing my grandfather used on his canvas tent. Fond memories. That being said, the key word is STRONG! My wife is not a fan. Says I stink up a whole room when I have a bit. And her point is...?
This scotch is fantastic. It has a bug smokey flavor and finish almost sweet. My first thought when I took a sip was of honey and a camp fire.
By far, the best tasting scotch I've ever had. Smooth, smoky.. beautiful.
Strong smokiness with tarry finish. Medium body with hints of lemon, tobacco and earth. Amazing to match with a cigar and would taste awesome for cigar lovers. Mesmerizing on the nose.
