TN: Laphroaig 27yo

S

Saina Nieminen

Location
k
My bike dude is a huge whisky geek. So I took my bicycle for its yearly maintenance and while he's working on it he pours me a dram: Laphroaig 27yo. Wow.

Laphroaig is known to be super smoky but smoke disappears with age. This was still medicinal and peaty and vegetal and very obviously Laphroaig but I didn't smell any smoke at all. Really savoury and dry and just amazingly long finish with all kinds of lovely umami seaweed flavours. Absolute magic. And here I thought I liked my Islay and other smoky whiskies on the younger side. I might have to reappraise my preferences. I do not have the income to reappraise my views. I must stick to younger Islays.
 
I've never tried but the 27 yo but I did purchase a bottle of the 18 yo at the Midlands Whiskey festival. I found it more approachable at the festival but last night I found it very medicinal and "TCP" like. Not bad and my wife loved it but it was a little full on for me.

Now I did spend my dream tokens on a small dram of the 33yo Laphraoig. That was a delight and very mellow and approachable. A rare treat and one I am unlikely to encounter again!
 
Laphroaig is famous for being very medicinal in style. I’ve heard the story that during prohibition in the US it was still allowed to be sold as it was marketed as a medicine and no one in authority believed anyone would want to drink it as a whisky.

I always take the view not to judge a whisky from the first neck pour on opening as it will change most, through oxidation, over the first couple of weeks. Try it again then and you’ll get a better sense of what it is like.
 
kevin heatherington said:
Laphroaig is famous for being very medicinal in style. I’ve heard the story that during prohibition in the US it was still allowed to be sold as it was marketed as a medicine and no one in authority believed anyone would want to drink it as a whisky.

I always take the view not to judge a whisky from the first neck pour on opening as it will change most, through oxidation, over the first couple of weeks. Try it again then and you’ll get a better sense of what it is like.
Click to expand...
indeed. Part of the "shock" was that the 18 yo I tried at the show was much more subdued and one of my favourite whiskies I tried at the show
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top