What a classic Laphroaig 10 Year is! It's been an unbelievable 6 years since I last reviewed this, so it's time for an update. One of the definitive Islay drams. I remembered it being a little bit stiffer than 43% ABV, but on the other hand maybe that low-ish percent explains how I've downed so many bottles so easily over the years - very little sting. However, it is colored and also chill filtered (fie!). Oh well, you can't have everything. Here we go...
Nose: A rich palette of peat, iodine, ocean salt, ocean air, kelp, and salted fish, like anchovies or kippers. Fragrant vanilla and rich malted barley the longer the glass sits. Sometimes a note of wood smoke.
Mouthfeel: Thick legs on the glass, but rather medium-thin on the palate (!). This is the 43% at work - it really should be bottled around 46% and without the chill filtering. Or maybe my mouth is fatigued from so much cask-strength Scotch lately...
Palate: Follows the nose - some smoke, ash, and fat peat, maritime notes, all backed by a sweet malty vanilla/caramel backbone. Perhaps a bit of lemon peel/lemon oil as well.
Finish: On the longer side, smoke and wood notes - drying tannins especially - reach into your mouth, take root, and stay there for a good while. This is going to color anything else you taste for the rest of the day or night.
Verdict: I really wish this was bottled at a higher proof, as I found it almost a little slender (!) this go-round. But the core flavors are familiar and beloved, and I will never tire of the wood smoke and the maritime iodine. Easy drinking Islay.
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