Father and Son - Laphroiag, Opinions Welcome.

Islay, the Island of whisky legends!

Click on the link for the full article: Islay Scotland Makes The Worlds Best Whisky

A new addition the the Laphroaig range is now available in the US! Introducing Laphroaig Select.

Click the link for more info: Laphroaig Select Scotch Whisky

Laphroaig Select takes its name from the special selection of American and European casks, chosen for their unique character that they give during maturation. Our Inspiration for our new Global expression has been take from history – 70-80 years ago, the time of the last family member owner of the distillery, Ian Hunter. Ian was one of the biggest influences in the history of Laphroaig indeed he was one of the first distillers to travel to bourbon county in the USA to identify new sources of casks that would give him greater consistency as well as new flavours. He later married this ‘new’ style of Laphroaig with his traditionally matured (European cask) Laphroaig.

Inspired by his early work , we have used Oloroso sherry butts, straight American white oak (non-filled with bourbon), PX seasoned hogsheads, Quarter Casks and finally of course first fill Bourbon Casks. This varied cask maturation technique enabled us to create 6 new flavour combinations that were then tested with our FOL’s to choose their favourite style and indeed name. 

Isle of Islay Distilleries, Scotch Whisky Production.

You don't really realize what a giant Caol Ila is, until you see this list. On the other end of the Islay whisky production spectrum, you can see how Kilchoman Distillery is truly a craft distillery when compared to the others.

Bowmore 12 Year Old

Whisky Type/Region: Single Malt Scotch Whisky/Islay 

Bottle Size: 750ml

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Notes:After my first exposure to peated whisky, with Talisker 10 went so well, I decided to try one from the isle of peated whiskies, Islay. My first pick was this Bowmore 12, and frankly, it was a bit of a disapointment. It had the peat I was looking for, but it was less integrated, with none of the harmony of flavors the Talisker had. It was complex enough, with many different tastes and smells to enjoy, but it didn't please the palate (at least my palate) like the Talsiker did, and the low ABV (40%) didn't help it at all! As I later learned, at this price range the younger 10 year olds from Ardbeg and Laphroaig are much more enjoyable! Coming back to this one again hasn't changed that opinion. I would recommend both of the aforementioned 10 year olds, over Bowmore 12, as a proper introduction to Islay's peated whiskies. Don't completely discount Bowmore though! More recently, I've tried other expressions in the Bowmore Range, with much better results!

Note: Both of the examples of Bowmore 12 I've tried, were pre Rachel Barrie taking over as Master Distiller. Now that she has had some time to oversee Bowmore's operation, this part of the Bowmore range might have improved from the two older bottlings I've tasted. When I see a bottle with the new packaging, I'll have to try this expression again.

Nose:Pretty standard ex-Bourbon cask honey, a lemony citrus, and bonfire smoke.

Taste: Smokey peat, baked apple, a little salty bite, then some allspice, pineapple and dark chocolate. 

Finish: The finish is long, with the chocolate and peat lingering.

My Personal Ranking: 80/100