Laphroaig Cairdeas 200th Anniversary Edition (51.5%, OB, 2015)

• Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Laphroaig Distillery
• Bottling: Suntory – Friends of Laphroaig
• ABV: 51.5%
• Cost: £65.00

What they say

To celebrate our 200th Anniversary, we wanted to make a unique Cairdeas – one that embodies the history of Laphroaig, by creating an ‘older’ style of Laphroaig.

To do this, we have of course used our hand turned floor maltings, which have remained totally unchanged. However, we have also increased the intensity of the peat using the peating process which is unique to us (We ‘cold smoke’ which infuses variations of the peat flavours into the barley that no other maltings produce). The result is a spectacular and totally unique Laphroaig – a one off, which I believe you will really appreciate.

Released during Fèis Ìle 2015 and marking the distillery’s 200th anniversary, for this special edition of Laphroaig Cairdeas Master Distiller John Campbell used 100% floor malted barley (from the distillery’s own small malting floor) and used only the two smaller, older stills during distillation! It was matured in ex-bourbon casks for around a dozen years.

What I say

From Moxies’s Tasting with Moxie – a Festivus for the rest of us. Sadly I wasn’t successful in the ballot to buy a bottle this year, however a very good friend generously donated their chance to purchase one to me as I was on a mission to collect bottling marking the birth year of my son in 2015 and so one of these proudly sits in my archives for the next 18 years or so ;-D

My tasting notes:

• Appearance: Light straw gold (5/20), medium thickness streaky legs
• Nose: Peaty smoke and vanilla cream, peanut brittle, soft and gentle toffee and butterscotch, salted caramel, malty and a touch lactic/milky, foam banana sweeties, bbq beef and smoked bacon
• Taste: Meaty and malty, creosote and phenolics, carbolic soap, bbq meats, vanilla cream with some syrup sweetness, quite smooth on the palate, shellfish; scallops – sweet and briny, butterscotch and smooth clotted cream fudge.
• Finish: Long and peaty with smoke, salted caramel and brine

Overall

A very nice creamy and easy drinking Laphroaig with plenty of peaty character. I guess this is a success as it sets out to achieve exactly what they wanted from it. Made for drinking I’d say!

Score 88/100

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