Review #25: Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength batch 007

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Batch 007

The first single malts I bought were all Speyside. Laphroaig 10 caught my eye and one day I tried it. I saw some of their marketing about being a love/hate product and that sort of convinced me to buy a bottle of the 10. Quickly, Frog 10 became a daily dram in my house. I have had a lot of different Laphroaigs but never the cask strength because I thought "How different could it be?" Such a neophyte thought, but those days are gone.

Islay - 10 Year - NCF - Color Added - Sample (Price at the local $60) - 56.3%

Color - Russett

Nose - Big nose on this, iodine, seaweed, leathery fruits, dollar store floral spray, over a hint of cereal

Taste - Big oily mouthfeel, first I get fruit that quickly gets overwhelmed by peat, iodine and smoke, more of that artificial floral, new wood and cereal and an underlying sweetness

Finish - Long - Sweet smokiness, so dry I am salivating like a dog.

Overall - 7.5 - This is a quality dram. To me this is Laphroaig's version of Uigeadail: Big, in your face, mouth coating and unapologetic. Like many of the Laphroaigs I have had, this dram gets better with each sip. Like the regular 10, it is a bit of a one trick pony, but I like the trick a lot. It really makes me wonder what the standard 10 year would be like if they didn't chill-filter it.

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner