Laphroaig 25 Year Old (2014)

This is the 2014 edition of Laphroaig 25 Year Old. There have been earlier editions (2007, 2009) and new editions in 2015 and 2016 as well.

It was matured in a combination of first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks and ex-American bourbon barrels, before being bottled at cask strength.

Laphroaig 25 yo ‘Cask Strength’
(45,1%, OB 2014)

Nose: a slightly restrained, but nicely farmy nose. Wet dogs, embering coal ashes. Mellow peat. Something of melted butter. A little vanilla. Sweet hints of lychee syrup underneath. Then back to drier, more medicinal notes (iodine, hessian), but always with a jammy fruitiness in the background. Beautiful balance of minerals and a vaguely fruity sweetness.

Mouth: lots of sharper, peatier notes, but again there’s a sweet lemony note and some honey behind it. Walnuts, brine, oysters, warm smoke. Very smooth, very silky. Something of spiced apple. Almonds. Liquorice.

Finish: long, with plenty of smoke, hints of cinnamon, tobacco and leafy notes.

I love the elegance of this. You could argue it’s playing in the same league as the 21, the 18 or the 15 (making it difficult to pay the extra), but based on quality alone it’s really great. Around € 400-500.

Score: 91/100