LAPHROAIG 'LORE' NAS - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

A good whisky friend of mine offered me a sample of the Laphroaig 'Lore' - and who am I to say no to that - So thank you, A! :-)

My initial thoughts were that the 'Lore' is a whisky I wouldn't go out and spend my money, at least not until I've tried it so here was a golden opportunity to do just that.

Regular readers will know that I'm not a big fan of NAS (No Age Statement) whisky as I often find that the price and quality don't match. At the moment we're seeing more and more distillers moving towards NAS and to me that's a slippery slope as a consumer as I want to know what both what I'm drinking and last but not least, paying for...

OK, enough on the NAS issue - let's if this one is compatible with my taste buds

Stainless steel washbacks at Laphroaig, June 12th 2007 © The Malt Desk

Laphroaig 'Lore' 48%, Distillery bottling

Colour is pale gold

Nose:
Immediate hit of cigar ash, some vanilla, cooking with ginger, overripe banana, fresh flowers, layer cake sweetness and only then some sweet peat. The peat seem quite restrained to me as if its not what you want as a driving force in this whisky - which too bad when its Laphroaig we're talking about. Water releases some more kiln smoke and quite some earthy notes in this one...

Taste:
OK, there's a bit more Laphroaig here. Sweet peat lands right away.
Sweetness seems to be the theme going all the way through here with vanilla, banana, lots of barley sugar (wort). More fruit notes peaks through after a little while, mainly apple and hints of citrus. Those are wrapped in more gingery notes and a bit of oak spices for a quite short finish leaving only a bit of peat...

Like the Laphroaig Quarter Cask I also felt that in this one, there's been some smaller casks involved and looking up information online confirmed my suspicion - it contains quarter casks and adds that bit too much non integrated oak notes and sweetness but no depth.

To me, it seems the profile of Laphroaig these days is one that caters for drinkers with a sweet tooth. That said, its not a bad whisky, by no means, but it just lacks both punch and character. I like my Laphroaig more rough around the edges, which is why I go for the 10yo Cask Strength edition or indie bottlings as cask strength.

Finally, is it worth around the £80 they're charging for it?
No, not in my book, its not! The problem with NAS bottlings are often that the price doesn't match the quality of the whisky and this is a good example of just that.

Will I drink this again if offered?
Yes, I didn't say it was bad, did I?

Is it good?
It's good, but frankly I've had better...

Will I be buying a bottle?
No, I'd go for an indie bottling with an age statement and at full cask strength instead!

Again, as with many official bottlings these days, its made for the large consumer group and not the whisky anorak. We need to remember that official bottlings like this are the bread and butter for the distilleries - it's where they make their money... and we need people to buy bottlings like this - if they don't, anoraks wouldn't be getting what we like ;-)

Again, thanks to AC for the sample!

83/100!

TASTING LAPHROAIG CÀIRDEAS 2008-2013

Saturday the 11th January 2014 saw 32 people enjoying 6x2cls of different Laphroaigs - specifically, the 6 Càirdeas bottlings released so far for the Feis Ile from 2008-2013...
32 people also gave the opportunity to take home some dregs for later tasting and re-evaluation. Oh, we also had an extra, but more on that later... ;-)

The venue was The Irish House in my home town of Aalborg, an old merchant's house from 1616 with a nice cosy basement perfect for tastings this size. The same place as the local whisky club, in which I'm deeply involved, does most tastings as well. This day, though, it's bottles from my private collection we'll be tasting.

The Càirdeas tasting lineup, left to right 2008-2013 Editions - a fantastic afternoon out, January 11th 2014 © The Malt Desk

I decided to do the tasting in 2 flights... and chronologically too of course, first 2008 - 2010 and a break and then on to 2011 - 2013.

Let's break them down in detail:

• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2008, 55%
• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2009 12yo, 57,5%
• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2010, 57,3 Master Edition
• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2011, 50,5% Ileach Edition
• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2012, 51,2% Origin
• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2013, 51,3% Port Wood Edition

Right, now that we got the bottlings sorted, let's have a look at a few personal observations of mine and also how they rated on the day through the eyes of the rest of the participants. More detailed personal tasting notes will feature on the blog at a later time.

• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2008, 55%

This one is really close to the 10yo Cask Strength, IMO - great stuff, especially if left for a while to breathe. Somehow I feel the 2 older casks tipped into this vatting provides a significant part of the backbone of this dram.

• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2009 12yo, 57,5%

A much more mellow and sweet experience, this one. Lots of vanilla and burning twigs as opposed to the traditional heavier peat style. Certainly a clear influence from more time in the cask as well as influence from the 1st fill ex-bourbon casks used in this vatting.

• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2010, 57,3 Master Edition

This one takes us, IMO, more back towards the traditional expression of Laphroaig. It gives carries a lot of vanilla and peat sweetness and lemon, but still closer in style to the 2009 expression than the 2008.

The verdict of flight no. 1?

Many really liked the 2009 12yo and asking around 2/3's of those asked favoured that expression, incl. myself. - the rest was split between the 2008 and 2010. Retasted a few days later, the my own verdict changed to have the 2008 come out on top!



Comparing the first 3 of the Càirdeas expressions, January 11th 2014 © The Malt Desk

• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2011, 50,5% Ileach Edition

A fresh and vibrant expression, this one. Lots of cigar ash on the nose along with delicate vanilla and an almost floral peat. This was probably the expression that on the day got least likes, but this has also opened up quite a bit. Supposedly all 1st fill ex-bourbon casks from Makers Mark distillery went into this vatting.

•  Càirdeas Feis Ile 2012, 51,2% Origin

An expression that carries a destinct mark of the quarter cask, IMO, with noticeably more powerful wood infused notes. Of course it also gives you the sweet peat and some seashore notes, but although its good, it'll never be my favourite of the lot.

• Càirdeas Feis Ile 2013, 51,3% Port Wood Edition

Personal impression runs with another very vibrant expression, not at all dulled by the port maturation. Loads of farmyard notes of both the bio dynamic and organic kind (dung, barley and hay). The wine showing it self as a sweet layer on top of the peat, but in no way overpowering. This expression has on online fora really divided people into lovers and haters. Personally I'm in the first group.

The verdict of flight no. 2?

This was about a split hair descision between the 2012 Origin and the 2013 Port Wood Edition. At the time, I really liked the 2013 Port Wood, but later, after revisiting the 2011, I've come to really like its ashy side alot. So for me its now a split between the 2011 and 2013.

Laphroaig Spirit Stills, May 5th 2011 © The Malt Desk

All in all a very nice experience to taste all -at the moment- released versions of the Feis Ile Laphroaig Càirdeas. I'm already wondering what 2014 has in store for us...

Looking at this range it goes fits the current trend of No Age Statement whiskies, except for the 2009 release, but these pack the extra punch for 2 reasons:

1. They're peated
2. (and most important) - they're cask strength!

Imagine other high profile distilleries releasing their NAS whiskies at cask strength?
Will we be bashing them as hard if they did?

So a big pad on the back to Laphroaig for making these bottlings available at cask strength.

Rounding the day off I put on an extra - a more mature Laphroaig at 21yo...



Laphroaig 1987 (xx.11.1987/xx.01.2009) 21yo 50%, refill cask#4855, Old Malt Cask © The Malt Desk

A more laid back version from Laphroaig, age showing itself clearly by producing a very mellow dram but still carries a more than moderate peating level and a very dark style of peat it is too, more burnt and sooty. An Islay giant this one... Again -as with the others- it went down very well with the audience, this was not rated on the day by the audience.

After about 2½ hours of tasting and enjoy 7 Laphroaigs, people went on their merry ways with a smile on their faces and leaving me with dregs for a private session...

Dregs for a small private session later on, January 11th 2014 © The Malt Desk

This concludes the short report from the tasting. Hope you enjoyed the it.

Thanks for reading...

/claus

LAPHROAIG 1990 - THE PERFECT DRAM

As a warm up for a tasting I'm doing this coming Saturday, January 11th, I'll be reviewing a Laphroaig... and the upcoming tasting, you ask?

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2008-2013.... A report will, of course, be on this website a little later.

Laphroaig is one the distilleries that uses stainless steel washback for fermentation. There are of course more out there, on Islay there's Kilchoman and elsewhere Glenfarclas and BenRiach distilleries, but also Pulteney and Scapa also springs to mind, both having corten and stainless steel washbacks.

So does fermentation on stainless or corten steel washbacks produce a different wash than wooden washbacks? More and more goes towards it being inconclusive. Some would argue wooden washbacks holds natural bacteria that adds more flavour during the fermentation process and some argue that wooden washbacks are only in use as they are the traditional vessel used for fermentation. Other arguments against wood is that they're difficult to clean and likely to leak/crack if not maintained properly. The only 'proper' argument against stainless steel washbacks is the one of the natural bacteria, but its never AFAIK been proved.... but still we all like those wooden ones, right? Looks more pretty when you visit ;-) (some argument, LOL ;-) )

You just have to make up your own mind :-)

Now onto the review... this time a mature Laphroaig, bottled by German cult bottler 'The Whisky Agency'. This one is done in their sub-series 'The Perfect Dram'.

Stainless steel washback at Laphroaig, behind that the stainless steel mashtun, May 5th 2011 © The Malt Desk

Laphroaig 1990 20yo, 56,3%, ex-bourbon cask, 237 bottles, The Perfect Dram with Bresser & Timmer

Colour is full straw

Nose:
Very sweet on vanilla, sweet peat too with a very mellow edge of seaweed and all things seashore... even hints of warm apple and cold smoky danish charcuterie. Not very expressive, but the things that are there are nice...

Taste:
Hello! :-O What this one lacked on the nose it makes up for on the palate. Very smoky! and a malt creamy edge -  almost honey creamy. more vanilla, citrus, peat bog and burned leaves, salty and seaweedy. I can imagine this would be what a cigarette rolled with dry seaweed, seaside moss and peat would taste like!

This is very nice - and the complete opposite of the sometime young brutish Laphroaigs we see out there...  but we love those too, don't we? ;-)

88/100!

LAPHROAIG 1990 29.128 'DEEP, DARK AND HUGELY ENTERTAINING' - THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

Final SMWS bottling coming up for a while... and as promised we're still on Islay and one of the most iconic of the distilleries - Laphroaig.

Laphroaig Stills - October 2008 © The Malt Desk

I'm not going to drag this out any longer - we're down to the last one... :-)
I hope you have enjoyed this long run of bottling from the SMWS and have gotten an idea (or my idea, at least) of what their bottlings is all about.

Laphroaig 1990 29.124 (12.10.1990/xx.11.2012) 21yo, 'Deep, dark and hugely entertaining' 58,8%, Refill ex-sherry butt, 601 bottles, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Colour is mahogany

Nose:
Sherry and nutty, raisins, nutmeg, medicinal, heavy and fruity peat. BBQ glace, a hint of something metallic, burnt sugar and flowers - Bowmore style :-O

Taste:
Oily, seaweedy, dirty diesel notes, peaty, grapes/sweet oloroso, meaty and a little rubber, heathery peat and tobacco and dark fruits.

Age balances out the more curious notes in this one, IMO - so a fine dram, indeed!

88/100!

LAPHROAIG 1991 29.124 'PREGNANCY TEA MIX' - THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

Lets move away from Ardbeg now and down the road towards the village of Port Ellen.
Before you reach Port Ellen you'll pass firstly, Lagavulin and then eventually Laphroaig where we'll make a stop for this next review.

This time I'll be reviewing a slightly older Laphroaig @20yo which should give us a more mellow profile of the Laphroaig wildness which I find missing in the distillery bottlings nowadays - except for the 10yo Cask Strength expression.



Laphroaig Distillery and bay, August 2009 © The Malt Desk

Laphroaig 1991 29.124 (14.10.1991/xx.09.2012) 20yo, 'Pregnancy Tea Mix' 56,9%, refill ex-sherry butt, 549 bottles, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Colour is white wine

Nose:
Immensely sweet, banana, barley sugar, cake icing, burning twigs and 'Jamaican herbs' and warm sand. No rough edges at all, very mellow and it carries a surprising mashy/grainy note in spite of its age

Taste:
Fruity sweet peat smoke, spicy, lemon zest, honeyed and vanilla. Classic notes of salt and seaweed in there too. Hint of smoky blackcurrant and wet newspaper. On the finish some grilled veggie notes.

Lovely 'adult' Laphroaig this one. One to savour

88/100!

LAPHROAIG 1998 - ARCHIVES

As with the previous Archives bottling, I'm not going to to a long intro on this one, other than its not your usual powerful style of Laphroaig  - just like the previous review not was your usual powerful Caol Ila... but its always like that with single casks - and that's the beauty of it.

My rant on recent Laphroaig distillery bottlings can be found in my January 2nd review ;-)

Laphroaig 1998 14yo (xx.05.1998/xx.11.2012) 53,8%, ex-bourbon hogshead#5619, 156 bottles, Archives

Colour is very pale yellow

Nose:
Burning fresh leaves, pineapple and banana, über sweet peat smoke, more fruity and some flowery notes - like a laundry detergent

Taste:
Vague arrival at first, then a rush of fireplace smoke, ginger and citrus and quite some porridge. Finish is medium on spicy oak and that sweet peat smoke.

A bit one dimensional and the vague arrival does not do this one any credit - but still enjoyable... still available here

83/100!

LAPHROAIG 1998 - VAN WEES

Although Laphroaig is know as the 'medicin cabinet' of Islay, due to its iodine style, it has certainly taken a step to a more crowd pleasing style over the past years. I remember when I started drinking whisky and Laphroaig was incredible rough in style... and (I know its not quite the same) but Talisker 10 was a rough beast as well.

Now, I know your palate develops as you drink more and more whisky... but this is just not right - and many have pointed this out before - there's just too much aiming by the distillers for a pleasing style to suit the wide audience... and too much e150 in the mix!  I also recognise that running a distillery is a business - and not a whisky philanthropists paradise...but really?? with the popularity levels whisky has reached these days?? Couldn't you make some more for the whisky nerds, please? *end of the (first) rant of 2013*

Peat and sherry goes well together - I think we can all agree to that! and Laphroaig and sherry is no exception... and why not test this one from a pretty influential sherry cask picked Dutch bottler Van Wees.
This is a single cask and e150 free and at full strength - thanks to the whisky gods!

Laphroaig 1998 13yo (22.09.1998/22.08.2012) 60,1% refill sherry butt#700394, 716 bottles, Van Wees

Colour is nutty brown

Nose:
Dirty, oily, sherry, medicinal for sure - real antiseptic and iodine style. Peat and mulled wine, whiffs of a Starbucks shop, a little rubber adds to the experience.

Taste:
Trademark sherry Laphroaig. First a sherried/winey arrival then a huge peat 'Oomph'. Getting dry and nutty and bitter -  the like making a Gaelic Coffee with a peated whisky ;-) Spices, pepper, smoke and dried fruits in abundance. Finish is long on ashy peat, a little experience-adding matchstick sulphur and sweet notes...

Not overly complex as the sherry maybe has taken over a bit, but very enjoyable!

87/100!

LAPHROAIG 1996 - CREATIVE WHISKY COMPANY

Before I tried this, I wondered how it would turn out as Port is my other drinks passion...
Port and heavy peat then?

This bottling is from Creative Whisky Company which is run by David Stirk.

Lets check it out below...

Laphroaig 1996 12yo 17.10.1996 50,1%, cask#7295, Creative Whisky Company

Colour is full straw with an red hue

Nose:
Perfumy smoke, sweet peat, damp earthen floors and malt sweetness and fruit.

Taste:
Sweet peat again and more on the peat than smoke now. Quiet clan malt and a slight vinous spicy/drying aftertaste - then peat and wine being medium lasting.

Off my head I'm thinking very Ardmore-like and not a medicinal Laphroaig and though from a port cask, I was expecting a bit more influence from the port... Not a bad dram - but not great either.

82/100!

LAPHROAIG 2000 DENMARK EXCLUSIVE - SIGNATORY VINTAGE

We're heading back to the south shore of Islay for this next review. Laphroaig is -to many- a love or hate whisky... but judging by their sales - especially in the US, the lovers sure outweighs the latter.

Laphroaig Visitors Centre entrance - May 2011 © The Malt Desk

This review is about a Laphroaig as it should be... Cask strength, non coloured and non-chill filtered. Laphroaig needs that punchy delivery that can only be done through a high abv% - and this one does that to full effect.

Lets see what we're dealing with here:

Laphroaig 10yo 12.04.2000/28.02.2010, 62,3%, Refill sherry butt#700052, 569 bottles, Signatory Vintage - Denmark Exclusive bottling

Amber in colour

Nose:
Slightly sulphured, though nothing disturbing - like its adding to the experience rather that dragging it down. Some spirit burn but underneath there's seaweed and the peat, though not as dominant as one would expect in a young Laphroaig. Also some mint in there and a little 'dirty' sherry cask though it does give off some nice dark fruit sweetness - other things that comes to mind are cardboard, tobacco and cow dung.

Taste:
Very different! as if the peat only runs at the side of your mouth as your mouth waters from the alcohol. A bit kippery for sure too and more of a rubbery style sulphur here on the palate. Burnt plastic, struck matches and wet tobacco leaves + spicy oak and oranges. Water makes it more drying and bitter on the finish.

A powerful young Laphroaig with lots more to offer than its original brethren.
It has quite an edge and is IMO best drunk neat...

86/100! as its still a bit 'dirty' in style - but good fun!

LAPHROAIG 2001 - DOUGLAS MCGIBBON PROVENANCE - PART VII

This distillery on the south coast of Islay needs no introduction, so lets go right at it:


Laphroaig 2001 8yo 46%, from 2 x refill hogsheads 5095+5096, Douglas McGibbon Provenance


Pale straw in colour

Nose:
Gristy, more smoke than peat, very sweet, hints of Jamaica's favorit 'herb' (and not talking coffee here), a little banana and vanillapods

Taste:
The lightest of arrivals for a Laphroaig, bordering on thin. The smoke and sweetness is very much in the foreground on this one. The gristyness from the nose on this one also carries through on the palate. The middle palate is very weak and only the smoke lingers on a short while.



Far from the most impressive of Laphroaigs, but still an enjoyable session dram.To be honest, I'd personally spend a little more money and get the Distillery 10yo Cask Strength.

82/100!

LAPHROAIG CÁIRDEAS 2012 NOW ON SALE

Laphroaig Cáirdeas 2012 now on sale at Laphroaig Distillery webshop for £45/bottle - max 3 per customer. You have to be logged in and a registered member of 'Friends of Laphroaig' to purchase this bottling.

http://www.laphroaig.com/shop/product.aspx?ShopItemID=68

Bottles are  sold on a first come first served basis.