Laphroaig 16 & 1999 SMWS 29.173 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Two 16 year old Laphroaig’s to review today.

I was excited for the new OB as it’s a decent age, decent strength and Laphroaig. The only thing that grates me slightly is that I paid £20 less for the 18yo, but that was a few years ago now and such is life.

And since we seem to be in the middle of a little apocalypse I opened a 16yo Laphroaig from SMWS that we can compare against.

Laphroaig 16 48%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Nice mineral/seaweedy blast, soft vanilla, soft malt, plenty of peat and iodine, fresh bandages, clean classic Laphroaig. Great nose.

Taste: Soft and oily arrival, building mineral and medicinal flavours, iodine, bandages and honey, then more fruit with a fresh lemon/lime and under ripe mango thing, then back to more peat with sea soaked rocks drying in the sun.

Finish: Medium/Long length. A touch of rubber into the finish then salt and pepper, quite dry. Not as good here.

Finish lets it down a little but a great, slightly softer Laphroaig. Much prefer this to the 15yo 200th Anniversary.

77/100

Laphroaig 1999 SMWS 29.173 59.8%

'Forget time and space'

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Fresher and fruitier than expected with plenty of citrus, lime rind, grapefruit juice, light malty smoke backing it, salty samphire, driftwood bonfire. There is a medicinal touch to it but its quite subtle and in the background, clean bandages.

Water: Loses the fruit and now it's more about the earthy malt, mud after rain, the orange is coming back now.

Taste: Clean arrival, very bright and citrusy, then suddenly grips the tongue with heavy heavy smoke with lots of minerality and salt, licking salty rocks, sand saturated with sea water, samphire, grapfruit and dirty orange, stunning oils and really lovely balance.

Water: Softer and more fruity with an incredible orange flesh thing I remember from samples at the distillery, some seaweed, soft but heavy smoke. Takes me right back to the distillery.

Finish: Long length. More petrol-y here, delicious and super oily, a little lemon zest perhaps. With water there's a coal and ash thing going on.

Bottled at 16yo from a refill Bourbon barrel. The whisky I got for my engagement! Just fantastic indie Laphroaig, oily, balanced, citrusy, salty, a little medicinal. Not quite the equal of ‘Sausage Sandwiches and Oil Rigs’.

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #849-#850

Whisky Network Reviews #1021-#1022

Network Average: 75.2

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Laphroaig 15 (Old Bottling) [Road to #1000, Review #978]

Hi everyone,

This is a much talked about and hyped old and discontinued bottling from Laphroaig, that seemed to have stopped being released some time in 2009.

It was then re-released in 2015 as an anniversary bottling, which I have reviewed but didn’t like a huge amount.

I’ve been hunting this for a while, I think because when I first got into whisky and was watching Ralfy, he mentioned in one of his videos that Laphraoig does well with age and that the 15 was a great expression.

Laphroaig 15 (Old Bottling) 43%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Tropical and fruity with an undertone of smoke. Mango, pineapple cinnamon combo. There’s a fullness and fatness to the nose that is just wonderful. Fresh, smoke but the smoke very much still intact and in balance.

Taste: So soft and delicate, smoke and seaweed, lemon citrus, so oily and awesome. The mouthfeel here is incredibly good, again good balance of smoke and some tropical fruit.

Finish: Long length. Balanced with oak and smoke and salt.

Balance is the key word here. The main complaint I had with the 15yo 200th Anniversary was that it seemed neutered of the smoke and therefore came across quite weak and thin. This still has that characteristic laphroaig flavour but with the tropical fruit you get from older Laphroaig’s. I actually prefer this to the 25yo 2015 version I tried as it has more of a mouthfeel, don’t like it as much as the 21 FOL though.

Note the Royal Warrant at the top of the label, which I can’t really find many photos of. Not really sure which version/year this bottling comes from but 750ml bottle.

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #821

Whisky Network Review #978

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Bn7 & Lp9 Elements of Islay Reviews

Hi everyone,

I’m a big fan of Elements of Islay since I first tried some of their stuff at my first ever whisky festival. They had a Laphroaig, Caol Ila and a Bowmore and I was really impressed with the quality.

Fast forward to now and they continue to impress with stellar releases, often putting the vintages, cask info, etc. on Whisky Exchange and their own website, where it can be found pretty easily.

We’ll have two new(er) ones today:

Bunnahabhain Bn7 55.8%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Cherry, cherry and more cherry. Vanilla, cherry lips, cherry sauce, small deserts, chocolate cake with cherry jam, Kirsch, really full on sweet nose. After time it’s like you are taking a big whiff of freshly made Christmas cake!

Taste: Sweet, intensely sweet, cherry, cherry sauce, chocolate pudding, some raisin, plum, clove spice, some of that Bunna harshness in there but its fine, oak and pepper.

Finish: Medium/Long length. A sweet hit, then leather and more drying, dry oak.

16yo from 2x Sherry butts. Lovely, lovely nose but some of that Bunna harshness dragging it down. Also, you need to be a big fan of cherry. Anywho, fans of Bunna will absolutely love this I imagine.

78/100

 

Laphroaig 1998 Lp9 54.3%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Sweet and smoky. Smoked sticky Chinese-style pork chops, the smoke and malt are pretty clear, the Sherry hasn't overwhelmed it, sweet orange, mineral and sea shore notes, melted dark chocolate. Delicious nose.

Taste: Really oily and thick, long arrival, takes its time, orange and cherry and raisin, the smoke and malt, Haribo cola bottles. Really nicely balanced with a gorgeous mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length. Really oily again, orange and dark chocolate, again delicious.

Absolutely showstopper of a dram. What more is there to say? From a PX Sherry cask and I’m amazed at the great integration of sweet and smoky. IMO this is much better than the Masterpieces that Whisky Exchange did a while back.

88/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #720-#721

Whisky Network Reviews #858-#859

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Laphroaig 1996 Adelphi Review

Hi everyone,

Many thanks go to Lucy of Adelphi for this wonderful sample of older Laphroaig.

 

Laphroaig 1996 Adelphi 57.1%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: The twenty years have really done a good job of toning down the smoke and bringing out complexity but not the usual tropical old Laph. Instead there's wet leather, slightly rotten oranges (in a good way), campfire ash, cordite/gun smoke, still some lemon and lime citrus lurking back there too. More rotting seashore notes after a bit. Oh and stale cigarette smoke (which should never be a good thing but somehow is here!). Really interesting and complex nose.

Taste: Soft start with orange, then lemon and lime, very soft but building up and up with these very maritime notes of seaweed, rotting seashore, the bay at Laphroaig at low tide, wet leather, campfire smoke, a confusing but delicious combination of wet leather and petrol, then more oily into the finish.

Finish: Long length. You'll have to swallow a couple of times (C'mon guys, no jokes please) as it suddenly gets very oily and viscous. Powerful smoke here with big mineral notes. Firm, strong finish.

Bottled 2017 at 20yo. A pretty stunning modern Laphroaig. It's Adelphi so it’s going to be expensive but it’s a good'n. Some great aspects of old Caol Ila, Bowmore and Lagavulin here too. If I could bend the rules, I’d give it 88.5.

88/100

Distillery:

Average Score: 81.7

Distillery Ranking: 6th/ 62 places

Up/Down: No movement

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #609

Whisky Network Review #721

Network Average: 74.9

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Laphroaig Cairdeas Quarter Cask & Portwood Reviews

Hi everyone,

Back in November I reached new heights of whisky blogging fame, in receiving my first free sample. So the first review here in particular carries an even bigger full disclosure disclaimer than normal: I received a free sample of Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017 Quarter Cask from the distributor and therefore my objectivity may be slightly tainted. Good. Now we have that out the way, I also happened to taste the extremely hyped Portwood version from 2013 recently and it seemed like a good moment to put my notes up together.

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2017 Quarter Cask 57.1%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Like being back on Islay. Standing at the floor maltings at Laphroaig. Really lovely smoked malt aroma, peat, earth, smoke, orange, oysters and lemon sponge cake. Underneath that there's kippers and sea salt, butter and toast, then some more mineral aspects with flint. There's just a little rubber out of place.

Taste: Soft start, then some acidity with lemon juice, quite Caol Ila like actually with that very acidic lemon and big smoke, salty fish, quite maritime and clean. A little vanilla, malt and perhaps some white chocolate.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Very clean for a Laphroaig, more Caol Ila-like for me. More lemon, more smoke, more mineral with granite.

Lovely lovely nose, but the taste and finish were much cleaner than expected suggesting that this one is a little younger than I had thought.

81/100

 

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2013 Portwood 51.3%

Colour: Blueish Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Strikingly balance for big peat and port. Toasted marshmallows and gristy peat, ash, blueberry, campfire smoke, Smores, pockets of florals.

Water: Becomes more toasty, but not as balanced.

Taste: Intense and builds up even more, very nicely too, very balanced but very powerful smoke, sweetness from the Port, blackberry. I don’t really know how, but the smoke and Port have balanced really well here.

Water: Softer, still powerful, more citrus- lemon.

Finish: Long length. More port here with juicy blackberry, black pepper and ashy peat.

Keep it neat. An awesome modern Laphroaig #livethehype If you asked me whether Laphroaig would be better from Port or Quarter casks, I’d go with Quarter 100%, but this has such great big flavours that shouldn’t work but completely do. Oh and thanks to the guys at Maltstock, who always seem to want to give me awesome whiskies!

87/100

Distillery: Laphroaig

Average Score: 81.5

Distillery Ranking: 6th/63 places

Up/Down: No movement

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #604-#605

Whisky Network Reviews #716-#717

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Laphroaig 1987 XOP Douglas Laing Review

Hi everyone,

We’re back with the whiskyporn today.

A 30 year old Laphroaig doesn’t come around often but when it does its always a pleasure! Especially when it’s a single cask, cask strength version from Douglas Laing.

Honestly, I had huge massive expectations for this after tasting other older Laphraoig’s and unfortunately those weren’t met. Which is a shame (a little violin plays) but we get by and carry on.

Anyway, I tasted this one at Inter. Whisky Frankfurt recently.

 

Laphroaig 1987 XOP 53.5%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Not too tropical but sooty, chimney soot, coal dust, burnt down building, cooked apple, a little closed. Very reminiscent of that 27yo Blended Islay from TBWC now that I think about it. Mixed citrus peel after a bit. Even with water it remains closed actually.

Taste: Soft, great balance, soft oils then intense sweet and peat combo, tropical green mango, oak, oily, spices but quite juicy, puffs of smoke and sea air, white pepper and sour lime. Not as complex as I was looking for, although it is balanced very well.

Finish: Long length. More maritime with sea salt, some seaweed and mango, soot.

Bottled 2017 at 30yo. Lovely whisky but not up to my high, high expectations. Not nearly as tropical as the Laphroaig 21, and in reality I could have guessed a Bowmore if I was tasting it blind.

86/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #557

Whisky Network Review #658

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Laphroaig 1997 Berry Bros for Switzerland Review

Hi everyone,

Quick one from me today. Another one from Berry Bros, and this one in particular was the best of the ones I tasted from them. Then again, it’s older Laphroaig, so it might not be a fair fight.

Laphroaig 1997 Berry Bros & Rudd 51.6%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Lovely balance of mineral and sweet. Medicine cabinet, rock pools, vanilla, dried seaweed.

Taste: Sweet first, vanilla hit, then smoke kicks in, mineral, seaweed and rock pools, Kilchoman-esque mineral notes.

Finish: Long length. Ends with more sweetness, orange and honey.

Bottled 2015 at 18 years old. Quite sweet for a Laphroaig. Blind I might have guessed Kilchoman. But great whisky!

84/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #506

Whisky Network Review #585

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Laphroaig 30 (Early 2000's Bottling) Review [London has Fallen]

Hi everyone,

This is one I’ve been excited to share with you all.

This whisky. This is one I’ve had on my ‘life’ wishlist since I can remember. It’s one of those truly legendary whiskies that you hope to one day taste and doubt you ever will. And possibly It’s gonna cost you a lot of money to try it.

Luckily for me, it was one of the dream drams at The Whisky Show and even more luckily, I was working there and managed to blag my way into trying a sample. Many, many, infinite thanks to the guy on the stand who was working for Bowmore and Malts of Distinction.

You made my day, sir!

 

Laphroaig 30 (Early 2000’s 75cl Bottling) 43%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L. Mega complex, Sherry is so well integrated, medicinal, slight rancid rotting seaweed (which is so so amazing), rancio notes with old liqueurs, old oils and old tobacco. Keeps evolving and opening up to be even better! The best nose on any whisky I’ve ever tried.

Taste: Soft, hugely balanced, almost lacking power, but not quite. Sherry then medicinal, that rotting seaweed note again, but not quite as epic here, sea salt, red grape and raisin. The Sherry is a tiny bit rubbery but I’m nit-picking.

Finish: Medium length. The raisin then amazing 70% dark chocolate and tobacco.

Ah, so so good but the taste and finish have a little rubbery quality from the Sherry and the finish could be longer. Minor points in the grand scheme of things but it holds it back from being truly exceptional (Maybe my first 93?).

90/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #480

Whisky Network Review #548

Network Average: 74.3

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?