Laphroig

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Laphroig 18 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 48%. Tasted at The Ben Nevis Hotel (Glasgow), £…can’t recall.

Colour: Island golden shower.

Nose: Peaty iodine notes dominate. Typical Laphroig.

Palate: Strong smoked meat flavours, but somewhat softer and somewhat of an oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Front of your tongue – it doesn’t dominate & fill your mouth like a younger Laphroig.

Comments: By this stage of the night my ability to accurately and creatively describe the whisky was diminishing almost as rapidly as the pounds from my wallet…in hindsight? Quite similar to the Laphroig 10 and Quarter Cask, but much smoother.

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Laphroig PX Cask Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 48.0%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0. (No, this wasn’t just me rocking around to Joel’s place and getting stuck into his whisky, I brought a couple of bottles of my own too!).

Colour: A striking, dark gold.

Nose: Much softer than other Laphroigs; there is a touch of sherry.

Palate: Ah there’s the peat. The sherry notes are lost, but it seems to have softened compared to your average Laphroaig.

Finish: Oaky peat notes. Medium to long finish. Maybe a slight hint of sweetness in the fade, but it’s very subtle.

Comments: The Laphroig PX has undergone triple maturation – firstly in ex-bourbon barrels, then American oak quarter casks, then finally in ex Pedro Ximenez casks. I’m not convinced it adds a lot flavour-wise, but the time in PX casks maybe softens the whisky a little. The PX is generally only available in duty free stores, and while it’s a good whisky I’m not about to book an overseas trip just to pick up a bottle.