Released in 2004, this bottling was aged for around five years before being finished in a quarter cask for several months, the size of the cask is quite small, thus does not require such a long maturation. This remains a truly great achievement from Laphroaig.
Oily and buttery nose, with toffee, nuttiness, hickory, bicarbonate of soda, rum and raisin ice cream and zest.
Big rush of sweetness, in fact it’s an explosion of sweetness, with fiery chilli heat, TCP, sweet cereals and a touch of cola syrup.
Medium-length, but becomes fruity, with custard and cigar smoke.
LaPhroaig is on a good up swing in there whisky-never been let down by any expression and I've had the 10,15 and 18-all excellent - I know good made whisky that's been matured in good casks when I taste and smell it- I'm nosing and tasting my first quarter cask as we speak and I am at a loss for words-just opened this tonight so first 2 drams with no chance for the product to breath except for 15 minutes on the cairn and I am stunned by the quality of this NAS! The last dude actually likes it as much as I do but he's being greedy and lying so he can have it all to himself-don't worry mate LaPhroaig is playing it straight keeping prices real and respecting the quality and tradition of there product!
Tastes like band- aids soaked in peroxide. Disgusting.
I wouldn't say I'm an avid Scotch drinker, but I do enjoy it. I wanted to try something new this time and bought a bottle of quarter cask. At first sip, first it was smoother and sweet, then burnt, then just stick to my tongue. After a couple more sips, the flavor was much more enjoyable, perhaps I didn't let it breathe enough to begin with. I've had some better (much more expensive) Scotches, but I've had much worse at all price ranges. I'm satisfied with it.
hard to fault is spot on 1o year beats this hands down end of but still a nice whisky
A truly gorgeous young whisky that mellows more and more as the bottle decreases. At first, the bottle is heavily phenolic, TCP, peat blast, pepper, bonfire with a sweet cured rush pushing it through. As it mellows the TCP nearly disappears and it is more like a smouldering peat fire, but about 4 metres away from you instead of your head over the fire. Delicate, earthy, vanilla, honey, grainy biscuits, sweetened oat cakes. gorgeous mouth feel thanks to it being left NON-CHILLFILTERED (DISTILLERS, TAKE NOTE!). It is young, but it isn't rough, it is ready and rounded, matured. Those five and a half years have done there job. It doesn't need any longer. Well worth the price, I wish they would just put an age statement on it though. I'll happily buy young whisky if it is ready. Especially if the whisky is peated. Older doesn't always mean better, and with Islay, older whisky will NOT have the peat influence. This is Laphroaig's best expression, if the standard 10 year old was bottled at this strength and left with it's NATURAL COLOUR and left NON-CHILLFILTERED then it would be the best (LAPHROAIG, TAKE NOTE!).
