Laphroaig 10 years old Cask Strength Batch 010 - b. 2018 - 700ml

Laphroaig 10 Years Cask Strength, Batch 010, 58%, 700ml

Batch ten from Laphroaig’s cask strength series. Bottled: January 2018

Laphroaig was founded in 1815 by two brothers from the unassuming Johnston family on the south coast of Islay. Named after the location that the distillery itself was created upon, the name loosely translates to the ‘broad hollow by the bay’. In 1994 the Prince of Wales awarded it the Royal Warrant, an accolade attested to no other whisky on earth. Rumour has it that it was the Prince’s most favoured whisky.

Having said that, Laphroaig is often perceived as quite an acquired taste amongst the faint of heart, perhaps due to its intense peaty, smoky and rich flavours. During the prohibition, an American Surgeon General was adamant that it was unfit for recreational consumption, and instead declared it to be strictly utilised for medical purposes only.

Today, it is the biggest selling single malt from Islay, and one of the last distilleries using its own floor maltings.

Nose: Sweet & umami. Wall dust. Moving down it becomes more herbal and menthol again. Salted nori. Juicy oranges. Wet, earthy peat at the base. The classic Laphroaig phenol is addictive.
Taste: Heavy oak char. Juicy yellow fruits. Bonfire. Leafy oak. Grill meat. Burnt rubber. Tar. Sanitised patch soaked in iodine. Mocha with dusted dark chocolate on top.
Finish: Long finish. Oily and the ripe yellow fruits persisted. Lovely.