Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength Batch 009

My father donated this bottle, which I have been thinking about for some time now. I've had a bottle of the Cask Strength in the past, and it blew me away - almost literally. I remember huge waves of peat and brine and iodine and ash and seaweed. And after the liquid sat in the glass for a few minutes, a rich rich vanilla, a golden malt, and a thick biscuit flavor. Was my memory accurate? Was I romanticizing this potent, monstrous dram? Let's find out. This is 10 years in bourbon casks, batch 009, bottled at 58.1% ABV. 


Nose: Whoa, OK, my memory wasn't wrong. Strong, pungent maritime peat elements fill the room when the cork is pulled. Iodine, and brine, and wet burning driftwood. If you let it sit in the glass for some amount of time, the strong peat scents recede, giving way to an extremely custardy vanilla (like flan), ashy biscuits, malt, and an incredibly succulent BBQ aroma, like honey-basted ribs. Delectable, and powerful.

Mouthfeel: Thick, oily. 

Palate: Holy moly. This is very strong stuff. A blast of iodine and a zooming sweep of alcohol burn come first, followed by a broad bready quality that is infused with sea water, salt, ionized salt, and medicinal peat. The alcohol is very hard-hitting here, and a splash of water might not go amiss. I prefer it neat, but I'm also a glutton for punishment that way. This is intense. 

Finish: LONG. Very long. Smoking oak, saline, pepper, and mountains of peat. They lay on your tongue and refuse to move for many minutes. I actually felt like holding the whiskey in my mouth for a few moments took a layer off my tongue (!). 

Verdict: Truly fantastic Islay Scotch. It's amazing how Laphroaig can induce such powerful, bold, interesting flavors from ten years in a bourbon cask. It's true this doesn't have the variety or subtly of something like Corryvreckan, but the powerful punch it delivers is unmistakable and unforgettable. The difference between the standard 10 year (a monster in its own right) and the Cask Strength is just enormous. It's like the difference between reading a book about skydiving, and actually skydiving... at night...in a hurricane. Amazing Scotch, this. For the hardcore only.