Style: Sweet and Smoky
Nose:
Fragrant, smoked-infused baked apples and pineapples served with fresh cherry pie. Cinnamon and ginger shreds dressed on top of it, a very dessert-like (with some smoke though) aroma on the nose. A pinch of black pepper sprinkled on smoked bacon at the back, soy beans undertone. All enveloped comfortably by an extra syrup coat. Nice.
Palate:
Delicate red fruits riding on a vibrant smoke-fruit core. Mocha and furnace ashes side touches, tropical fruits dripping with heavy cherry chocolate. A mix of liquorice roots, iodine blotches and earthy notes at lower levels, whereas peppermint hitting small peaks on top of the round, citrus-edged sweetness. Hay smoke lightly torched, moss and maritime influence at its tail.
Finish:
Ambers dying down, fading toasted apples, a final touch of hay smoke at the end.
Thoughts:
A Laphroaig nicely sweetened by Pedro Ximenez sherry. People (including me) can be wary/sceptical of PX maturation, as its influence can be overwhelmingly sweet, which can badly disrupt the dynamics of the spirit. However, I also believe if you can get the balance right it will work very well, and this is what we have here – just a light touch of extra PX sweetness to polish off the edges, and create a coherent expression. Lovely dram.
☆ [Recommended]
[48% • Original Bottling • Non Chill Filtered • Travel Retail Exclusive • General Release • Circa 2015 • *]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 