For the Laphroaig Oak Select, the Islay distillery has taken whisky from a number of different types of cask, including oloroso sherry butts, white American oak, Pedro Ximenez seasoned hoggies, quarter casks, and first-fill bourbon casks. Quite a selection, wouldn't you say? A laid-back addition to the Laphroaig core range of single malts.
Classic, medicinal peat notes up front, supported by citrus-y, chocolate-y sweet notes and soft barley.
The peat is there, but it's taking it easy and letting the bright notes of lemon, green apples and mint stand out. Darker baking spice notes develop further on.
Medium length, peat remaining in sight until it's over.
It doesn't pack a huge punch of peat, which might be just the ticket for introducing someone to the wonders of Islay's smoky expressions.
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It has got to be the worst whiskey ever to me, it tasted like tcp and left a horrid after taste never again.
The Select was minging...the Select Oak (which I bought assuming it had something to with the 4 Oaks offering) is even worse. It's basically peated supermarket own-brand vodka. Perfect if you're a career glue-sniffer moving up to drinking.
Excellent piece of marketing deception, very bland.
The peatier and smokies the better as far as I'm concerned but having bought a bottle of this for myself and one as a present for a friend, I think it's a great introduction to peatiness for those who are a little bit overwhelmed by whiskies on the heavier end of those notes.
I've seen some stinking reviews for this but I thought that it had to be worth a punt at the price and... well I think that the Laphroaig 'lite' is a very pleasant easy drinking Scotch. Pleasantly smoky on the nose and a nice subtle sweetness on the finish (that PX...). It's great value, it's a pleasant drink (probably go down well with people who aren't that fussed about peat) and I can see it being wonderful in cocktails. TBH I bought it with that in mind and I'm not disappointed.
