Official bottling | 48% ABV

Is my opinion on Laphroaig welcome?

Is there any other industry where the quote: “Like kissing a mermaid that had BBQ for dinner”would be pushed by a marketing team?

I yet to see Cathedral City describe their cheese as “veiny and sweaty like an athlete's foot” or Bisto gravy “Like slurping lumps of bone broth”. Now I personally like my cheese powerful and my gravy chewy, but I wouldn’t say it’s the mass consumer’s preferences. Then again, the Dramface podcast showed me how many people like their toast “BnB” style.

This is why I think Laphroaig’s Opinions Welcome marketing campaign is one of the best whisky marketing moves I’ve seen. My name’s Gilbert, I am a peat enthusiast, welcome to my TedTalk.

Enjoying the fisherman’s harbour aroma of Lagavulin 16 and the heavy flavoursome mist of Port Charlotte, I was thrusted into the smokey abyss early on my whisky adventure. Yet popping that Lagavulin had many descriptions thrown by myself and the herd of nerds I was playing board games with. I’m not sure many of them sounded complementary. Yet somehow “burnt tyres”, “peat stove ashtrays” and “roasted nuts & shrimp” sound appealing to this peat fan. This all leads me to wonder, “why are these ludicrous tasting notes intriguing to us?”

My first thought was, “Is it inclusiveness? Lovers of the peat revelling in the disgust of others?” Maybe it's bragging rights that we can swallow the burning embers of a well-toasted hog roast while others find it wretch-inducing. I always remember seeing my great uncle swear he was enjoying the flavours of his Phaal curry while his sweat-covered red face betrayed a different story. So does it show we are tough enough to try it and dare I say, enjoy it? As someone who has been given many gross edible gifts (e.g. BBQ flavoured giant ants) I can see these marketing descriptions being the cause of a present-giving purchase. 

On reflection maybe it’s not the flavours themselves but more the pomp and pageantry around the flowery descriptions? I was always fascinated, yet highly suspicious, of wine tasters pulling out “eucalyptus musk” in a fuller-bodied red, however now I get it. Not in wines, I still have no clue. But to wax lyrical about the notes themselves. Often my tasting notes can stray beyond the acceptable into simply ludicrous recipes and references which I’m sure become unrelatable. Yet I love the wild flavour tales sung about a bottle and overall adds to the whimsy of whisky. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has certainly embraced this whimsical side of the spectrum.

Swinging back around to Laphroaig, I feel the smartest part of their campaign comes down to the faces selling it. Or should I say lack of faces? As Laphroaig put it in a slightly nauseating way, the Friends of Laphroaig are the ones creating these phrases. Now throwing aside my scepticism that all these quotes are created by one person, they tell the story of the liquid from an honest (or scripted) perspective with a little marketing glitter sprinkled on top.

By humanising the product, it adds a good slice of authenticity to the distillery, almost to a point where you don’t think about the giant Beam Suntory pulling the strings. This voice of the common person also has the advantage of not having to rely on a recognisable or famous face front and centre. I’ll let you decide the success of having Nick Offerman, Matthew McConaughey and David Beckham involved in the whisky scene.

The more knowledgeable Laphroaig fans would know there’s a rather famous face connected to Laphroaig, in fact at time of writing, he has one of the most viewed faces on TV. That is the former HRH The Prince Of Wales, King Charles III. I can confirm this is not just a case of cashing in on the hot news clickbait. Dramface is better than that. More of a case of old Gilbert here, scanning the bottle for more content nuggets after seeing the current limp word count.

Anyway, below the feathered crown on the label, for the first time I spotted “By appointment to HRH the Prince of Wales,” so I had to look into this further. It turns out the new king of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms is rather a fan of Laphroaig with it often being a little smokey treat carried in a flask. He even detoured to the distillery in 1994 where his private plane overshot the Islay runway requiring a replacement plane to be provided. These days he would be lucky to get a two-door courtesy car.

Now at this point I’m sure you’re thinking, “Gilbert, shut up with all the marketing and royalty rabble and get to the whisky itself,” to which I reply… “opinions welcome”. 

But yes to the bottle on my desk, Laphroaig 10 year old Sherry Oak Finish. After a Google trawl, I came up short of finding out how long this whisky has been finished in European oak Oloroso sherry barrels for. Described as having similarities to the core 10 year old release, this bottle has a punchy 8% abv increase which tied in with the new sherry influence, creates a solely new release.

Review

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish, official release, 48% ABV
£58 (widely available online)

A green glass whisky bottle with a white label, you know it’s Laphroaig – I even did image search to make sure it didn’t have any doppelgängers - and unless you’re a typography nerd like myself, there really is nothing visually flashy about it. I guess the bottle lets the liquid inside do the talking and boy has it got things to say.

Nose

Of course the first jab comes from the rich medicinal peat. The aroma carries a heavy mix of metal and brine, like a burnt out car which has been rolled into the sea. Yet swiftly the smoke filled air is stabbed by pure sweetness; honey, sugar and raspberry jam. The real meaty peaty joins in with a good slice of sweet cheese providing a full meal for the nostrils. If you’ve never tried a cranberry, bacon and brie bap, please find a place that sells it.

Palate

As the sip passes the lips, the seaweed-fuelled smoke dies down focusing on the savoury delights. A very personal experience, but imagine BBQ burnt Chinese spare ribs and home-made honey sausages. Further sweetness is coming through with warm jam doughnuts, pineapple and maple syrup. Each sip leaves you with a warm wet smoke in the back of the throat.

The Dregs

You may be able to tell, I do enjoy waxing lyrical with whisky and this liquid really got the juices flowing. So much so, I’ve hovered over the “buy now” button for a very rarely purchased second bottle. Sitting just below £60 here in the UK, it’s beyond my razor thin budget, but it’s a very valid price. It always comes down to the battle of cheaper whisky” and good value whisky. 

As I sit here with my rosey cheeks and belly full of this booze, I’m ready to face the Dramface council with my highest scoring bottle so far. This whisky is good. Very good indeed.

Score: 7/10 GG

Hamish’s Review

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish, official release, 48% ABV
£58 (Master of Malt etc)

Nose

Immediately I’m thinking of cold grilled vegetables, soaked in olive oil. Bell peppers and red onions. Intriguing. Loads of earth, damp soil and wet cut grass. Car tyres and engine oil. Sawdust. Did you ever walk into a butcher shop and the smell of sawdust and meat greet you at the door? That’s what I’m getting in the glass. It turns into honey sweetness with cola cube gelatinous confectionery in there too. Soft fruit with plums and apricot. And of course, hello TCP medicinal wonderful peat. Always in the mix and there with the quick one, two!

Palate

Quite a tart kick on arrival with the sherry flavours ramped up a bit. Slowly but surely the smoke arrives in gentle waves. Chocolate covered cherries that quickly dries out the mouth. Within that strong maritime and brine element there’s honey-glazed grilled bacon and smoked soft cheese. Quite a lovely coating of the mouth overall, with a medium finish that brings out a citrus fruit and spice that marries well with the smoke.

The Dregs

Thanks to Archie for the sample of this.

I haven’t been the biggest fan of Laphroaig in recent years to be honest. The 10 has always fallen a bit short, where I’m just wanting a bit more grip and a thicker mouthfeel. 

A few years ago their Quarter Cask was very nice. It added a sweetness to Laphroaig that I didn’t know it needed, but that pushed me towards a few Lagavulin and Ardbeg expressions. I followed that up with their 10 year old cask strength that I found for £65. A pure form Laphroaig might be what I’m after. But it blew the head off me. That medicinal peat Laphroaig is notorious for was just too strong than what I enjoy. 

Rather than ramble on more than I should about my own disappointment with the Islay giant, I should tell you what I think of this whisky. I loved it! Sherry and peat are a match made in heaven. I wouldn’t haven’t thought such a heavy and densely peated whisky such as Laphroaig would be complemented so well with sherry. Give me more of it please. 

The surprise was in the sweetness, with meat and smoke. Like a three-course dinner all in one. If I see this for a decent price, I’m all over this expression. This was delicious, enjoyable and had me wanting more. It caught me off guard but I’ll pay more attention now in order to secure a bottle.

Score: 7/10 HF

Wally’s Review

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish, official release, 48% ABV
£58 (Master of Malt etc)

This bottle was put on my radar in no small way due to the Online Scotch Whisky Awards in 2021, it made it through to the nomination process and that meant I had to grab one.

Nose

After the almost too-obvious-to-mention embers, ash and tidal departure there are sweet toffee notes; treacle toffee and salted caramels. Burnt sugar and cocktail bitters. Some savoury licks too, like maple-cured bacon and sweet, pulled pork. Not a lot of obvious defined fruit here; over-ripe strawberries, plums and greengages.

Palate

The arrival is at first sweet and smoke. Then it gets difficult to tie down as it flickers between sweet, sour and bitter. Treacle toffee once more and toffee apple too, but there’s a definite bitterness prevailing; salt and metallic notes. A few drops of water, maybe, helps the sweet and overripe fruits appear and if you leave it a while you’ll uncover fruit tea and tobacco. The savoury element remains, maple bacon but also a whiff of honeyed ham and dry roasted peanuts. It finishes with some tannic elements but they’re in check and I do find myself going in for another.

The Dregs

This is a very decent Laphroaig, I can see why people are happy this exists. I honestly expected more though. I think if you compare it to other Laphroaig offerings, certainly their 10 year old, the Select or the slightly poor PX travel retail release of a couple of years ago, you’ll be very excited by this. It’s still not quite the full-on experience their excellent Cask Strength delivers, but it’s so, so much better than the 10yo that you’re left wondering why all Laphroaigs don’t taste like this. Is it worth £60? Well, maybe, compared to its Kildalton Coast peers these days. Charge us £50 and it’ll be a staple. It’ll sit alongside the Ardbeg Uigeadail or 10yo and certainly fill the spot that once held Lagavulin 16. Given the choice of the current 10 at £35 and this at £60 it’s no contest. This is whisky. The Laphroaig 10yo at 40% is a veneer.

Score: 6/10 WMc

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Other opinions on this:

Whisky in the 6 (video review)

Whiskybase

Whisky Wednesday (video review)

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