Laphroaig Càirdeas - Feis Ile 2008 - 700ml

Laphroaig Càirdeas Feis Ile 2008 - 700ml, 55%

This special Laphroaig Cairdeas was released in 2008 to celebrate the anniversary of the Friends of Laphroaig programme “Cairdeas” meaning “friendship” in Gaelic. Bottled in a limited edition of 3,600 for the Islay Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle), it was matured in both quarter casks and sherry butts.

Colour: Burnished copper-gold with warm amber depths and a whisper of mahogany edge.

Nose: Succulent peat smoke envelops the nose, a briny coastal breeze carrying iodine and sea-salt perfume. Underneath, rich sherry notes unfurl—raisin, fig and dark chocolate—woven with toasted oak and vanilla. A medicinal balsam lifts the aroma, while a touch of ash and leather hints at the Laphroaig’s maritime, old-world depth. Complex, opulent, and long-tinged with smoky sweetness.

Palate: Intense peat and medicinal iodine up front, cloaked in a maritime brine that slicks the palate. Rich sherry-cask notes thread through dark fruit—prune, raisin, fig—alongside burnt sugar and cocoa. Peppery spice oils the tongue, while drying oak lends subtle leather. A long, warming finish of smoke, sea salt and ash lingers, proving this Cairdeas a boldly finished Islay treasure.

Finish: A long, warming finish of peat-smoke, maritime iodine and sea-salt, gradually giving way to rich sherry fruit—raisin, fig and cocoa—framed by vanilla and cedar, with a peppery, lingering fade.