The Laphroaig 18 made it’s debut in 2009. It filled a spot left open by the discontinued 15 year old. I am not sure why it is bottled at the unusual 48% but I’d like to think it is because they thought it was the right ABV to carry the flavours through and felt it was important enough to shrug off the standard 40%, 43%, and 46% ABV’s of the industry. There are some rumours that they will be phasing out this particular expression in 2016. It shall certainly be unfortunate and I fear it may be a move toward more NAS whiskies like Macallan have been doing. Well let’s hope for the best!

Distillery: Laphroaig

Age: 18 Years Old

ABV: 48%

Price: ~£90 (£85.79 from Master of Malt)

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TheMadVatter

Nose

Hello old friend! Here’s the premise: I am camping in the redwood forests of California near a clear freestone river with a campfire going. It’s that time in the afternoon when the light is golden and angles through the trees to cast long shadows. I’ve tosses some dead fern branches and moss onto the fire. An old friend approaches with firewood and news of fishing spots down river. I can smell the herby smoke from the fire. Peanut butter jelly sandwiches. Pine smell. A bit of the smell you get from rivers or streams in California when the water gets low and the algae on the rocks are exposed.

Taste

Peat on the higher end. Medicinal like iodine. Bit of sweetness slipping through the iodine. Some fruit jam.

Finish

Peat and peanut butter. Reese’s peanut butter cups. Old oak. Iodine on a bandage.

Rating

8.5

Afterthoughts

I would say my favourite part of this whisky is the nose. As is perhaps a bit obvious from my notes. I could really smell it all day. One thing I really like about whiskies is how the aromas seem to trigger memories or even evoke memories of day dreams. This dram is definitely high up there in that respect. As profoundly stupid as it may sound, this is a whisky that gets better with each sip.  At first it’s odd and confusing, but it grows on you. It’s like that bizarre friend you thought you’d never get along with but then somehow becomes one of your best mates. Slainte!

Information Sources:

http://whiskyinformative.com/2014/07/23/laphroaig-18-year-old-review/

http://wordsofwhisky.com/laphroaig-18-phased-years-end-2016/