Laphroiag Triple Wood

I made a promise to myself recently to refrain from any sophomoric humor relating to whiskies, including the amount of wood present – although triple is quite impressive.  An unfortunate fact is that this expression of Laphroaig is only available in travel retail so don’t expect to find this anywhere that doesn’t require a boarding pass.

Laphroaig’s Quarter Cask is one of my favorite affordable Islay whiskies so I was really looking forward to trying the Triple Wood.   The Quarter Cask takes whisky that was matured in standard bourbon barrels then transfers it to smaller quarter casks where more of the whisky comes in contact with the barrel.  The Triple Wood is similar to the Quarter Cask expression except that it goes through one more round of maturation in Oloroso Sherry.

Laphroaig Triple Wood ~$100 (for one liter)
48% ABV

Color:  Light bronze

Nose:  Signature sweet peat, smoke, lots of oak influence, meaty, apple wood chips, cinnamon

Palate:  Peat, coal/ash, rich oak, oak spice, full bodied, rich, silky, leather

Finish:  Medium-long, peat and ash

Comment:  A very woody Laphroaig as expected, richer and deeper than the Quarter Cask.  I think I would still reach for the Quarter Cask if given the choice but this Triple Wood is very – very good! – Chris

Old Malt Cask Laphroaig La Maison Du Whisky Bottling

A quick treat from a fellow whisky-a-holic: Tony.  He picked this bottle up in Paris from the great La Maison Du Whisky shop while on business.  This bottle was selected and bottled for the shop.  La Maison Du Whisky also has a special place in my heart because they carry a lot of Japanese whisky – I can be pretty myopic when it comes to Japanese whisky.  In any event, this was from the independent bottler Old Malt Cask.

Stats:  Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask (Ref No. 5723), Distilled in November 1989 and Bottled in January 2010.  20 Years Old. 194 Bottles.

Label

55.4%ABV. Sherry Hogshead.

Color – dark amber/orange

Nose – peat, orange, some apples in there too, sherry sweetness, caramel notes, oak? smoke, iodine

Palate – peat, big alcohol, chocolate notes, hints of orange, sort of thin,oak, the sherry isnt as present as I thought it would be, interesting spices

Finish – peat, bitterness, singes the taste buds, spices are there as well.

With Water

Nose – tones the peat down but its still there, more fruits, malty,

Palate – really opens it up, fruits come bursting out now, malty, peat is ratcheted down, the oak is still there too.

Finish – sweetness, peat

Warning

Comments:  The nose is wonderful but unfortunately the palate doesn’t quite live up to it.  It is definitely not bad, in fact the palate is quite delightful – just the nose really built it up.  I still really like it, shows a lot more of Laphroaig other than the peat.

Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength #Whisky

Yum

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength:  Not the first drink of he night.  Frankly, not the second drink of the night.  Such is life.  Light honey color. Signature Laphroaig peat-and-sweet nose with a dusty heat in the background.  Someone might have stashed an orange peel way back there somewhere.  Decent viscousness in the mid builds upon a light beginning… which quickly degenerates into a respectable showing of heat and syrup-balanced peat. Rose and gummy peat linger.  And by gummy I mean on-the-gums.   A purposeful Islay whisky that (I think) Laphroaig should put as one of its best distillery-foots forward.