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…
Not unpleasant, but it certainly is different. An antiseptic, iodine nose with bold smoky flavor. Just enough burn going down, with very nice afterglow and an aftertatse that does not linger long. Not my first choice, but I can imagine it going well with a fine steak.
Like Drinking Earth and Smoke....
I was tasting this exellent single malt at "The Bell" in Edinburgh this evening. I bring a bottle or two with me back to Narvik (in Norway).
so i tried this whisky very recently, didnt expect this dram to be so different from my every day whisky like glenfiddichs and the glenlivets and glenmorangies, it has this taste that isnt my cup of tea. my opinion is this whisky is either the whisky that suits your palate or does not suit your palate.
Between occasionally shelling out for a Lagavulin or an Oban 14, Laphroig 10 would be my go-to off-the-shelf dram. Definitely an acquired taste, but once you do it becomes a first choice time and time again.
