Style: Rich, Sweet and Smoky
Nose:
Powerful spice attack, not unexpected given the strength. Followed by distinct, elegant smoked plums and violet roots. Tar, wood smoke an plenty of salinity filling up the air. Plenty of olives, becoming quite meaty as the tone sinks lower – katsu ham, beef jerky and meat stock, which is rounded up nicely with a touch of herbal liquorice. Maraschino cherries rise up at the back, finish with a sprinkle of black pepper.
Palate:
Similar to what the nose suggested. Plum and dark cherries served in a smoke jar. Nice oily texture, abundant liquorice, pencil shavings and black forest cake with malt biscuits crumble embedded in it. Orange-citrus oil trickling down, gingerbread with ginger chunks and milk chocolate. Smoked sandalwood settling down at the back. Rich, powerful and delicious.
Finish:
More smoked sandalwood, plums and milk chocolate. A clean citrus and liquorice finish.
Thoughts:
I wasn’t a big fan of the regular Laphroaig Triple Wood but this cask strength version is a completely different story. Under the magnifying glass (or utilising better casks), it feels the triple maturation process has successfully tinkered the distillate and created a rich and robust expression with many twists and turns. Numerous layers creating a beautiful depth, powerful with elevated finesse, reasonably complex and very well balanced. Boy, I can drink this every night.
☆☆ [Highly Recommended]
[59.5% 2019 Bottled Original Bottling No Age Statement Original Cask Strength Limited Edition **-]
-Esmond