Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength [Batch 015]

The Maker

For millions around the world Laphroaig represents their first taste of whisky. I will go further to suggest that for a significant proportion, it was also their last. Many of us have been in that situation at some point in our youth. A bar with a limited whisky choice and some wise guy offers to buy us a glass because they think our reaction to all that peat will be funny. Sometime it is. Afterall, Laphroaig is so utterly unlike anything else. I have seen several people gag at the experience. But for the kind of person likely to be reading this, I will guess that the reaction was a lot less amusing. Instead I suspect that it was followed by a request for another glass, and a look of disappointment on the face of that wise guy as they realised how much extra it was going to cost them compared to the beer you originally asked for.

Given this experience it is not surprising that Laphroaig is often what non-whisky drinkers think of when asked to name a whisky. And why it is perhaps one of the most recognisable brands in the world with its simple white and black branding over dark green glass. It might not quite be up there with Coke's classic red and white cans, but from an alcohol perspective few bottle designs are so obviously recognisable to the general public.

Laphroaig achieved such a position through several interconnected factors. It was one of the first legal distilleries in operation back in 1815. It has benefited from strong and effective management and marketing over the decades. And perhaps most of all, it has achieved its position through the production of a well loved and distinctive whisky which has a home on any enthusiast’s shelf.

Taking these in turn the story of Laphroaig began when two farmers leased land on Islay's southern coast to raise cattle. Cattle farming was not any easier back then than it is today, so it was not long before they discovered that more profit could be made from turning their leftover winter feedstock into whisky.

From there things grew with Laphroaig primarily producing for blenders like Mackie & Co, until they eventually had a falling out which led to what Laphroaig now cheerfully describe as a local ‘water war’ in the late 19th Century where all kinds of mischievous events took place.

After this period, much like the rest of Scotch, Laphroaig had a hard time surviving as the industry went through a significant contraction which saw once popular distillery heartlands like Campbeltown lose almost all of their production. Laphroaig was able to respond in 1921 with the arrival of Ian Hunter who invested in the distillery and expanded it into what is still recognisable today. But beyond this expansion, he is responsible for the production practices and flavour profiles for which Laphroaig is now famous. For example, he went as far as designing certain buildings to maximise the flow of fresh sea air onto the barley in the hope of adding more salty brine into the eventual spirit.

After Ian Hunter came Bessie Williamson. She was one of the biggest names in Laphroaig's history as owner and distillery manager from the mid-1950s through to the early 1970s. She was instrumental in building the Laphroaig brand into one of the world's leading producers and famously introduced it into the American market. Laphroaig have themselves honoured her in one of their recent 25-year-old releases which they subtitled 'the Bessie Williamson Story'. Having tried that once at the distillery I can confirm that it is one of the best whiskies available - if you can afford it.

From this point on Laphroaig became part of several major corporations and are now part of the Beam Suntory group which also owns Bowmore, Glen Garioch, Ardmore and Auchentoshan. It has to be said that a common factor across these brands in recent years has been, for the most part, the sanitisation of core releases compared to the whiskies they became famous for. Something which has led many hardcore fans to seek out independently produced versions of higher strength and flavour.

I am guilty of this myself and tend to buy a lot more Williamson releases (named for Bessie) than I do of Laphroaig's official bottlings. Yet despite this, the intense profile of Laphroaig is perhaps the least affected compared to the others. Sadly we have recently seen that the approach Beam Suntory is taking is failing to deliver the results they require. In response the production teams of Laphroaig and Bowmore will shortly be merged. A step which will in all likelihood result in job losses. Alongside the downturn in Diageo's prospects, anyone would start to get the impression that chasing premiumisation over quality has not been an effective long-term strategy for these big multi-nationals. But hey, what do I know?

The Expression

Going against this trend, several years ago, and in all likelihood against the first instincts of Beam Suntory, someone at Laphroaig worked out that what the fanbase really wanted was a cask strength version of the core 10yo. Since then we have had a new batch coming every year or so. This batch is number 15 and was released in December 2021 at a strength of 56.5%. Like all such releases it is an ex-bourbon maturation. No word is given on colour and chill-filtration so it is best to presume both, despite Laphroaig being famously light, and the ABV rendering such filtration pointless.

The retail price for this was £78 ($105US), but prices have been crashing over the last few years to the point where it is frequently available in the UK for under £55 ($74US) - which is what I paid for it late 2023.

The Neck Pour

This is pure Laphroaig on the nose as my mind is instantly reminded of a first-aid kit. It is that strong antiseptic mixed with burgundy waterproof plasters. But this also has a sweetness to it like demerara sugar cured kippers. There is also a freshness in the form of red berries. Almost like a cranberry and port sauce.

All of this delivered on the palate but with hefty dose of ash and peat smoke. There is also a bitterness to it which comes before the sugar. This all comes together on the finish as notes of leather and sweet BBQ. Compared to the standard 10yo this is a very notable and pleasant step up. It is also very drinkable, despite the ABV.

The Body

This has been open over a year and the nose has become more ashy. The medicinal nature is still there but it is now a lot sweeter. Sort of like an ashtray filled with burnt sugar - but not in a bad way. There is also a lot more of those straight ex-bourbon influences, with classic vanilla notes coming to dominate the nose. A surprising amount of change!

That ash now dominates the palate. The peat smoke is overwhelming just as you would expect from a decent Laphroaig. It is the kind of peat you want from something like an Ardbeg, but which all too often these days does not quite deliver. On the finish the sweetness has reduced, but the BBQ fish remains.

Final Thoughts

I am coming to the end of this bottle over two years from when I started it. That is considerably longer than open bottles tend to last around me, so I am left wondering why that is? Yes I enjoyed this, but I would not say I loved it. It lacks the complexity of something like the Lore, but is easily better than most other things Laphroaig release themselves. I have managed to try a few other batches of this along the way and I have to confess that this is easily the least interesting of all of them.

That is a shame as this is not in any way a bad whisky. In the time it has been open those ashen, peaty notes have only got stronger and taken the bottle towards a deep and rich tobacco. It is just that it lacks that extra kick you can get from something like a Thompson Brothers Caol Ila.