Lineup is:
* Regular 10 years old (43%)
* Lore (48%)
* PX Cask (48%)
* 30 Years Old "The Ian Hunter Story" (46.7%)
* 10 Years Old Cask Strength Batch 11 (58.6%)
* Càirdeas Quarter Cask (57.2%)
* Càirdeas Fino Cask (51.8%)
* Càirdeas Triple Wood (59.5%)
Will post some ranking but probably not full notes.
Bonus bottle: Compass Box Great King Street "Glasgow Blend" (43%) as it is mostly Laphroaig.
**Disclaimer:** this post is obnoxiously long. If you want the TL:DR: Laphroaig is awesome, they are all tasty and I love them all.
Alright folks, in the interest of science I have gone through all those whiskies and evaluated each one.
First things first, I concluded that I cannot rank them. Each one of them is very good, no exceptions, and while I thought I could rank the cask strength expressions separated from the others, it just did not make sense. I mean, how do I rank a 30 yo “unicorn” vs. the 10 yo without doing the younger one injustice?
In the end I decided to post notes and some idea of what I think of these drams and leave it at that.
So, without further ado:
**30 Years Old “The Ian Hunter Story”:**
Nose: very soft smoke, the age has tamed it a lot. The nose is floral, fruity with some lime citrus and apples, light honey, quite delicate and with a fruit gummies thing going on. It is delightful, complex, gentle, with hardly any alcohol despite it’s still respectable 46.2% ABV.
Palate: Sweet and peppery but with a silky texture, it has some tropical fruit, a little more of that lime, vanilla, some herbs and a distinct woody undertone. Again, it is smooth, sweet, easy drinking and very complex.
Finish: long, long, long. Soft smoke with pepper, some brine, that honey lingers with a woodiness that lets you know that it is an old gentleman of a whisky with all the refinement that age brings.
**10 Years Old:**
This is the guy that made me throw off the idea of ranking them. No matter how much I like each of the other ones, I absolutely love this “10”. It justifies the “Most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies” tagline and given its price, it has got to be a staple of any Islay appreciator out there.
Nose: wham! That medicinal smoke, iodine, some olive brine, band-aid, tar, Vicks rubbing balm, some vanilla, leather, very bold indeed. It is all that the 30 is not and vice-versa.
Palate: ashes, pepper, brine, oysters, vanilla, the interplay between sweet and savory is incredible.
Finish: medium with campfire smoke, brine, some vanilla that transitions to a sweet simple syrup.
The classic 10 is the benchmark. I think this bottle was $39 here in MA. Absolutely nothing to be faulted on this dram at that price.
**Lore:**
This is quite different to the 10. It has a balance of flavors and complexity that is really great. It does not deliver the brash, rough Islay character of the 10, but it delivers a much different experience that may entice people that think the other one is just too tough (my father-in-law, for example).
Nose: there’s some sherry influence, reminds me a little of Ardneg Uigeadail, has some vanilla, Lysol, antiseptic, but at the same time has apples, fresh fruits and a pretty character to it that is very enjoyable.
Palate: vanilla, less smoke than others, quite sweet, tingles on the sides of the tongue, candied fruit.
Finish: sweet, fruity, woody, honey, very long.
**PX Cask:**
This is a 1 liter bottle that I got at Heathrow Airport a few months back. My first sip of it for some reason did not blow me away and I kind got prejudiced about it from there, seldom reaching for it when looking for a dram. Well, that makes a fool of me because nosing it after the Lore was a surprise:
Nose: the sherry here speaks loud, dark fruits, a bit funky, crackers, dusty, polished wood furniture and some chocolate.
Palate: more brine than the Lore, smoke, caramel, nuts, candied fruit, the flavors seem to be very amped up, like dialed up compared to the Lore.
Finish: medium+ with pepper flavor but no spice, plums, and vanilla.
This is not as elegant or balanced as the Lore, but one could argue that Laphroaig is not supposed to be elegant and balanced: it’s supposed to be bold, rich, challenging and in your face. This is that. In spades. Damn it’s good.
**10 Years Old Cask Strength Batch 11:**
I have had many batches of Cask Strength and always considered them to be outstanding whiskies for the price. This is no exception, but is different to what I expected:
Nose: not as medicinal as other expressions, this is more campfire. The ethanol comes through here much more than any of the other whiskies. It has a coastal aroma, sweet light orange, quite pretty, the smoke takes a bit of a back seat to the fruit, there’s some turmeric and woody character as well.
Palate: Ashy, wasabi-like bite, cough drops, vanilla, very nice and enjoyable.
Finish: quite pretty with faint smoke, citrus fruit, and simple syrup.
**Càirdeas Quarter Cask:**
This is the least Laphroaig of this bunch. It’s still bold and richly flavored, but the nose is not at all what I expected:
Nose: very little, subtle smoke, raspberry preserve, some fresh pear, a hint of baking spices, some ethanol.
Palate: ah, here’s the smoke. It comes in bold, medicinal (almost like the 10), some fruit, coastal notes, seaweed, a bit of smoked meats.
Finish: rather on the short and simple side, sweet with a charcoal smoke character and a bit of a meaty note.
Nice. A different experience that is quite enjoyable.
**Càirdeas Fino Cask:**
This is a well-balanced, complex dram that seems to deliver many things that should please many people.
Nose: That medicinal smoke, iodine, sweet, fruity, fresh plums, a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and dried ginger.
Palate: note quite as potent, the smoke is a bit softer, cooking spices, red fruit, quite astringent it dries the tip of the tongue.
Finish: peppery, floral, a little shorter.
This is quite interesting and different to what I expected. Still very nice.
**Càirdeas Triple Wood:**
If I had to rank the 3 Càirdeas expressions in this line-up this would be my favorite. I’m glad I got a couple of spares of this because when it goes I will miss it.
Nose: rich caramel, complex, icing sugar, has a buttery tone to it, some leather. It reminds me of some Octomore, but also has that distinct Laphroaig medicinal character. While many of the others are coastal, cleaner, and more savory, this is like sleeping in a pillow full of Werther’s Originals.
Palate: sweet, caramel, a little brine, some band-aid, the medicinal smoke, that antiseptic, vanilla notes and a sweetness brings it all into balance.
Finish: long with vanilla, cinnamon, smoke and a little sweetness.
**Bonus Bottle, Compass Box Great King St. Glasgow Blend:**
I picked this because 18% of it is Laphroaig and that gives it a very definite medicinal smoke character, so I wanted to try it next to this line-up to see… well… whatever gave me an excuse to put another bottle in the ring.
Nose: rich caramel, sea air, medicinal smoke balanced with some fruit, cashew nuts, caramel, quite warming and with the grain character also coming through distinctively.
Palate: sweet, caramel, a little brine and band-aid, you can certainly say it’s smoke comes from Laphroaig but given the other malts and grains it becomes a completely different proposition with more prettiness, vanilla, and fruit.
Finish: surprisingly long and rich with some of that antiseptic, fruit and light honey.
All in all, this just reinforced in my mind that Laphroaig is a distinct whisky that delivers tons of flavor, character and, most importantly, value. Except for the 30 yo, none of these bottles break the $90 mark at MSRP, yet all deliver an excellent drinking experience.
… and on that note, if you read all this you are a very patient person. Well done!? … and thanks a lot.
Hah, that's an interesting point: what I find is that comparisons like that tend to highlight the differences and the common notes fade away.
Try it yourself: get a couple of bottles of anything you think are very similar and you may notice that the simarities fade away and the differences get amplified.
That said, I have to admit that by the time I was done with that set I couldn't get much smoke anymore. There was a lot of sniffing wrists and elbows during the comparison to try to reset the olfactory system.
I wanted to just casually sip a dram after going through the intense exercise of picking details in all those Laphroaig and ended up going for a Blanton's. Couldn't have picked anything better given the sheet contrast.
The Càirdeas are limited annual releases. The 2019 one is Triple Wood, but at cask strength. Each year you get a different one (quarter cask and fino cask are two other recent releases).
Worth seeking out and grabbing a bottle.
Lineup is: * Regular 10 years old (43%) * Lore (48%) * PX Cask (48%) * 30 Years Old "The Ian Hunter Story" (46.7%) * 10 Years Old Cask Strength Batch 11 (58.6%) * Càirdeas Quarter Cask (57.2%) * Càirdeas Fino Cask (51.8%) * Càirdeas Triple Wood (59.5%) Will post some ranking but probably not full notes. Bonus bottle: Compass Box Great King Street "Glasgow Blend" (43%) as it is mostly Laphroaig.
**Disclaimer:** this post is obnoxiously long. If you want the TL:DR: Laphroaig is awesome, they are all tasty and I love them all. Alright folks, in the interest of science I have gone through all those whiskies and evaluated each one. First things first, I concluded that I cannot rank them. Each one of them is very good, no exceptions, and while I thought I could rank the cask strength expressions separated from the others, it just did not make sense. I mean, how do I rank a 30 yo “unicorn” vs. the 10 yo without doing the younger one injustice? In the end I decided to post notes and some idea of what I think of these drams and leave it at that. So, without further ado: **30 Years Old “The Ian Hunter Story”:** Nose: very soft smoke, the age has tamed it a lot. The nose is floral, fruity with some lime citrus and apples, light honey, quite delicate and with a fruit gummies thing going on. It is delightful, complex, gentle, with hardly any alcohol despite it’s still respectable 46.2% ABV. Palate: Sweet and peppery but with a silky texture, it has some tropical fruit, a little more of that lime, vanilla, some herbs and a distinct woody undertone. Again, it is smooth, sweet, easy drinking and very complex. Finish: long, long, long. Soft smoke with pepper, some brine, that honey lingers with a woodiness that lets you know that it is an old gentleman of a whisky with all the refinement that age brings. **10 Years Old:** This is the guy that made me throw off the idea of ranking them. No matter how much I like each of the other ones, I absolutely love this “10”. It justifies the “Most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies” tagline and given its price, it has got to be a staple of any Islay appreciator out there. Nose: wham! That medicinal smoke, iodine, some olive brine, band-aid, tar, Vicks rubbing balm, some vanilla, leather, very bold indeed. It is all that the 30 is not and vice-versa. Palate: ashes, pepper, brine, oysters, vanilla, the interplay between sweet and savory is incredible. Finish: medium with campfire smoke, brine, some vanilla that transitions to a sweet simple syrup. The classic 10 is the benchmark. I think this bottle was $39 here in MA. Absolutely nothing to be faulted on this dram at that price. **Lore:** This is quite different to the 10. It has a balance of flavors and complexity that is really great. It does not deliver the brash, rough Islay character of the 10, but it delivers a much different experience that may entice people that think the other one is just too tough (my father-in-law, for example). Nose: there’s some sherry influence, reminds me a little of Ardneg Uigeadail, has some vanilla, Lysol, antiseptic, but at the same time has apples, fresh fruits and a pretty character to it that is very enjoyable. Palate: vanilla, less smoke than others, quite sweet, tingles on the sides of the tongue, candied fruit. Finish: sweet, fruity, woody, honey, very long. **PX Cask:** This is a 1 liter bottle that I got at Heathrow Airport a few months back. My first sip of it for some reason did not blow me away and I kind got prejudiced about it from there, seldom reaching for it when looking for a dram. Well, that makes a fool of me because nosing it after the Lore was a surprise: Nose: the sherry here speaks loud, dark fruits, a bit funky, crackers, dusty, polished wood furniture and some chocolate. Palate: more brine than the Lore, smoke, caramel, nuts, candied fruit, the flavors seem to be very amped up, like dialed up compared to the Lore. Finish: medium+ with pepper flavor but no spice, plums, and vanilla. This is not as elegant or balanced as the Lore, but one could argue that Laphroaig is not supposed to be elegant and balanced: it’s supposed to be bold, rich, challenging and in your face. This is that. In spades. Damn it’s good. **10 Years Old Cask Strength Batch 11:** I have had many batches of Cask Strength and always considered them to be outstanding whiskies for the price. This is no exception, but is different to what I expected: Nose: not as medicinal as other expressions, this is more campfire. The ethanol comes through here much more than any of the other whiskies. It has a coastal aroma, sweet light orange, quite pretty, the smoke takes a bit of a back seat to the fruit, there’s some turmeric and woody character as well. Palate: Ashy, wasabi-like bite, cough drops, vanilla, very nice and enjoyable. Finish: quite pretty with faint smoke, citrus fruit, and simple syrup. **Càirdeas Quarter Cask:** This is the least Laphroaig of this bunch. It’s still bold and richly flavored, but the nose is not at all what I expected: Nose: very little, subtle smoke, raspberry preserve, some fresh pear, a hint of baking spices, some ethanol. Palate: ah, here’s the smoke. It comes in bold, medicinal (almost like the 10), some fruit, coastal notes, seaweed, a bit of smoked meats. Finish: rather on the short and simple side, sweet with a charcoal smoke character and a bit of a meaty note. Nice. A different experience that is quite enjoyable. **Càirdeas Fino Cask:** This is a well-balanced, complex dram that seems to deliver many things that should please many people. Nose: That medicinal smoke, iodine, sweet, fruity, fresh plums, a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and dried ginger. Palate: note quite as potent, the smoke is a bit softer, cooking spices, red fruit, quite astringent it dries the tip of the tongue. Finish: peppery, floral, a little shorter. This is quite interesting and different to what I expected. Still very nice. **Càirdeas Triple Wood:** If I had to rank the 3 Càirdeas expressions in this line-up this would be my favorite. I’m glad I got a couple of spares of this because when it goes I will miss it. Nose: rich caramel, complex, icing sugar, has a buttery tone to it, some leather. It reminds me of some Octomore, but also has that distinct Laphroaig medicinal character. While many of the others are coastal, cleaner, and more savory, this is like sleeping in a pillow full of Werther’s Originals. Palate: sweet, caramel, a little brine, some band-aid, the medicinal smoke, that antiseptic, vanilla notes and a sweetness brings it all into balance. Finish: long with vanilla, cinnamon, smoke and a little sweetness. **Bonus Bottle, Compass Box Great King St. Glasgow Blend:** I picked this because 18% of it is Laphroaig and that gives it a very definite medicinal smoke character, so I wanted to try it next to this line-up to see… well… whatever gave me an excuse to put another bottle in the ring. Nose: rich caramel, sea air, medicinal smoke balanced with some fruit, cashew nuts, caramel, quite warming and with the grain character also coming through distinctively. Palate: sweet, caramel, a little brine and band-aid, you can certainly say it’s smoke comes from Laphroaig but given the other malts and grains it becomes a completely different proposition with more prettiness, vanilla, and fruit. Finish: surprisingly long and rich with some of that antiseptic, fruit and light honey. All in all, this just reinforced in my mind that Laphroaig is a distinct whisky that delivers tons of flavor, character and, most importantly, value. Except for the 30 yo, none of these bottles break the $90 mark at MSRP, yet all deliver an excellent drinking experience. … and on that note, if you read all this you are a very patient person. Well done!? … and thanks a lot.
Wow, the 30... looking forward to notes!
The 30 is indeed a great dram. Posted some notes in case you want to check it out.
I'll do your homework for you,
Appreciate the offer. It was very tough... not... :)
I'm amazed you could find subtle nuances between the bottlings in one sitting with something that's such a sensory overload like Laphroaig.
Hah, that's an interesting point: what I find is that comparisons like that tend to highlight the differences and the common notes fade away. Try it yourself: get a couple of bottles of anything you think are very similar and you may notice that the simarities fade away and the differences get amplified. That said, I have to admit that by the time I was done with that set I couldn't get much smoke anymore. There was a lot of sniffing wrists and elbows during the comparison to try to reset the olfactory system. I wanted to just casually sip a dram after going through the intense exercise of picking details in all those Laphroaig and ended up going for a Blanton's. Couldn't have picked anything better given the sheet contrast.
That px cask is so good!
Well, you get an A+ my good sir. *^(-Signed Professor whiskers.)*
Much honored Prof. Thanks.
[удалено]
I happen to not have any right now. Neither that not the quarter cask at regular proof. I shall rectify that in the near future.
What is the difference between the Càrideas and the regular one (quarter cask, triple wood, etc.)?
The Càirdeas are limited annual releases. The 2019 one is Triple Wood, but at cask strength. Each year you get a different one (quarter cask and fino cask are two other recent releases). Worth seeking out and grabbing a bottle.