Laphroaig 10 Year Old Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Laphroaig, Islay, Scotland

Name: 10 Year Old

Make: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Extra Info: All Laphroaig's American oak barrels are sourced exclusively from Marker's Mark for consistency.

Why did I buy it?

This whisky will always be a sentimental favourite of mine. It was the first whisky I tried that gave me that ‘wow’ moment and made me want to try more. Laphroaig 10 Year Old was also the first peated whisky I ever tried and I can still remember my first sip, in particular, the smoky aroma and the finish (the sensation of smoke swirling around in my mouth) that I found so remarkable. As they say, you always remember your first time.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Laphroaig has an understated elegance to their packaging and labelling and the flagship 10 Year Old bottling is no exception. Black text and iconography on a plain white background with green edging and the trademark Laphroaig green glass bottle. Classy.

Appearance: Bright golden colour, with consistency maintained through the addition of E150 caramel colouring and chill filtration; a common practice with larger distillery’s flagship bottlings.

Aroma: Smoke and something akin to a medicine cabinet. The addition of a little water cuts through the smoke and brings out faint fruit; I am reminded of sniffing a rockmelon (cantaloupe) in the supermarket to see if it's ripe, but I have no idea how a ripe rockmelon should smell compared to an unripe one.

Flavour: Smoky bitterness. A combination of flavours that are hard to differentiate but go together very well. Water brings out sweet vanilla and some oak spiciness.

Finish: Long and dry but not as I remember it. My mouth does not fill with swirling smoke, but rather the smoke lingers on the tongue and builds slightly with a gentle warming at the back of the throat.

Would I buy it again?

I would and I have. You cannot go wrong with Laphroiag 10 Year Old and I often recommend it for the more adventurous of the whisky curious. Peat smoke is the star of this whisky and it is unashamedly up front and quite literally in your face.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.