My love of peated scotch is well known. I have been called a peat-head, vilified as a member of the Cult of Ardbeg, and laughed at as a “Lafrog lover.” I regretfully inform those people that they are missing the point. Yes, some peated scotch is a blast of smoky peat through which no other flavors can be found. If you buy the less-refined peated scotch, that can be your experience. However, the 10 year expressions from Laphroaig and Ardbeg have more complexity than those cheaper versions.
Give yourself some time to get more comfortable with the flavors. Let the peat become part of the experience. Eventually, you find the nuances of these peated scotches. Typical scotch flavors will appear. Try the different ages and offerings of the classic brands, like Lagavulin and Talisker. To really appreciate the differences in many of these bottles, you need to have a tasting similar to this review. Try a few during the same evening. Look for the briny finish of a Talisker and compare it to the ashiness of an Ardbeg.
The real point is, be open to the experience. Be open to the nuances and the peat. And that brings us to today’s review. Two offerings from Laphroaig that are known to be excellent. Lore is a traditional offering that is meant to be more complex that Laphroaig 10 year. The Cairdeas offering is always an interesting release, typically finished in some style of sherry or port, with this year being a port and madeira finish.
How did these Laphroaig heavyweights fare?
Laphroaig Lore
Class: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price: $99
Notes:
- No age statement, but defined as a blend of single malts that have aged from seven to 21 years
- Ex-bourbon, European oak and Oloroso sherry barrels, along with quarter casks
- Distilled, matured and bottled at Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Scotland
- Bottled at 48% ABV (96 proof)
Nose: 88/100
Earthy peat greets you immediately. Honey and vanilla sit right beneath. Slight iodine notes at the edges. Fleeting notes of sweet, overripe pears. A touch of milk chocolate appears after some time in the glass.
Palate: 86/100
Milk chocolate and sweet peat are the stars here. Honey and vanilla lie in the background. Just a touch of iodine, but barely noticeable. A bit of salinity provides the foundation.
Finish: 86/100
Sweet peat comes to the fore. Honey and vanilla mingle nicely. The salty foundation lingers with the sweet peat. Just a touch of warmth in this medium length finish.
Overall: 87/100
Recommendation: Must try!
Lore is a classic Laphroaig expression, which means peated Islay Scotch, thus the reason for just a “Must try” recommendation. If you are a fan of peated Scotch, this is definitely a “Buy it now!” type of bottle. It really feels like a more refined version of the classic 10 year bottling. The mix of casks used, really do increase the complexity of this dram. As you can tell, I am a big fan of this bottle and do not buy it nearly enough.
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2023 – White Port and Madeira
Class: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price: $99
Notes:
- No age statement
- Distilled, matured and bottled at Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Scotland
- 3/4 matured in second-fill madeira casks. 1/4 finished in first-fill white port casks
- Bottled at 52.3% ABV (104.6 proof)
Nose: 92/100
Sweet smoked peaches lead the way. Rich honey follows quickly. Milk chocolate and sweet peat sit at the edges. Rich salted butter provides the foundation. A bit of sharp iodine can be found deep in the glass.
Palate: 92/100
Rich buttery texture with sweet smoked peaches. Honey and milk chocolate fight for attention. Briny peat sits beneath it all. A touch of warmth gives you a nice hug.
Finish: 92/100
Smoked peaches and salted butter lead here. Milk chocolate and sweet peat linger with a bit of warmth in this long finish.
Overall: 92/100
Recommendation: Buy it now!
Yes, I know this is a peated scotch. However, the peat is just a feature of this complex pour. The smoked peaches and salted butter really are the stars in this scotch, which make it way more approachable than most peated drams. I’ve had peat-disliking people try this and they have liked it, typically when they have been revolted by other typical peated pours. Yes, I love the Cairdeas series, but this is a rare gem even for that fantastic series.
What did we learn?
We already knew, or at least I did, that Laphroaig makes fantastic scotch. This was evident in other reviews and it continues to be true in this tasting. Laphroaig Lore is a wonderful expression from Laphroaig that I always recommend to all my peat-loving friends.
This year’s Cairdeas offering is a different story entirely. The Cairdeas line is always very good whiskey. I have never had one that I did not like. However, this release is that rare bottle that people will be talking about. It is already one of the best scotches I have ever had, especially since I do not spend a lot of money on one bottle. I love that Laphroaig continues to experiment with this line as it is always interesting to see how things fare.
One interesting note is that blending Lore with this Cairdeas is just amazing. The mingling of the more chocolate forward Lore with the smoked peaches and salted butter of the Cairdeas give you a fantastic scotch that you can savor for quite some time. For that reason alone, I recommend getting both bottles and mixing them in different ways to get to your perfect blend.
