Community Tasting Note
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henryd1 wrote: 87 points
September 7, 2015 - I had this again last night and am changing my mind about it. It was fun to try once, but by the second glass I'm already sick of it. It's just far too "in your face" and completely lacking in subtlety and complexity. Not really my thing after all.
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11 Comments
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Soteriologist commented:
9/7/15, 1:18 PM - Send me the bottle ? ;)
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henryd1 commented:
9/7/15, 11:22 PM - Haha! It's more likely to get categorized as "for unsuspecting guests"
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Soteriologist commented:
9/8/15, 3:45 AM - :D But don't let it sit there for years. If you leave a highly peated bottle open for 3 or 5 years, the peat can sometimes dominate and deteriorate too much into a tar note. I recommend using up within a year which shouldn't be so hard to do. Or otherwise rebottle into several smaller bottles with hardly any air inside and seal up, then it keeps forever.
The thing is: this is good peated whisky [Ralfy's re-review of this], but it is possible that you are simply not a peat head and cannot stomach it regularly. But rarely, and especially after some non-peated whisky, it can be just wonderful. So make sure it doesn't go to waste if it takes you years and years to empty - which is just fine. But rebottle it right away if that is the case. -
henryd1 commented:
9/8/15, 9:00 AM - Thanks for the tips! I like peaty whiskies and in the past I've enjoyed Lagavulin and Bowmore, but have found Arbeg a bit much. As this one was so well reviewed, I thought I'd give it a go, but it's clearly not really for me. Looking through the comments, someone else clearly had a similar experience, so I guess it may be a touch divisive, stylistically.
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Soteriologist commented:
9/8/15, 1:06 PM - Bowmore is pretty mild. Stay away from Laphroaig in that case. Here is my favorite Scotch at present, but I just bought 4 bottles of the 18 year old, too. If you like mildly peated whisky with good barrel influence, you will love the Bunnahabhain 12[/b] or the Talisker Port Ruighe. Cheers !
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henryd1 commented:
9/8/15, 11:47 PM - Thanks! I'll look into them
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henryd1 commented:
9/10/15, 2:03 PM - Had another glass last night, following on from a balvenie triple cask 12 year old, and enjoyed it. It's very powerful, but to say that it lacks subtlely is not true. That said, it definitely needs to be drunk in moderation.
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Soteriologist commented:
9/10/15, 3:30 PM - That is exactly what I keep saying: the qualities of these heavily peated whisky are more easily recognized if you have something more immediately pleasing directly before. That is particularly true of Laphroaig, such as the Triple Wood (don't bother with the 10, if you ever try it take either the 18, the Triple Wood or the Quarter Cask). On its own you might be put off, but after your Balvenie its sublimity becomes obvious. I guess that after-effect is also true for even a more mainstream type of peat such as the Ardbeg. So yes, use the heavily peated ones in moderation and always as the last whisky and/or as the last drink of the evening. With Laphroaig, the peat can be so strong that I tasted it even on the next morning after having brushed my teeth and a 7 hour sleep. Not sure if it was still in the mouth or only in the brain :D Cheers !
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henryd1 commented:
9/11/15, 12:11 AM - Yes, cheers! I wonder how much of that Laphroaig were you drinking ;)
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Soteriologist commented:
9/11/15, 3:25 AM - Not so much really. I have roughly had only 1 Laphroaig 10 (and compared it to the Ardbeg 10 directly) and 1 Laphroaig Triple Wood. I know that the Quarter Cask must be very good since the Triple Wood is just the Quarter Cask with a Sherry cask finish, and the 18 year old must be sublime based on very credible sources (so I just bought 4 - and if you can still get your hands on some 18 year old for a price under 100 € I would advise you to do the same because it is no longer being produced and in 2 - 3 years you'll get 200 + € per bottle - you buy 4, drink 2 and sell 2 later and you will have made money). I reckoned that if you can buy an Uigeadail overpriced at an airport, the 18 year old doesn't hurt either.
All that said: I am glad you like your Ardbeg again and would not advise you to try a Laphroaig at all right now until you finished that. And if you want to then cautiously see if you like the Laphroaig signature, the Triple Wood is probably the best value for money.
Sorry for writing so much, but I am obsessive about not being misunderstood :D -
henryd1 commented:
9/11/15, 4:58 AM - Great, thanks. And no worries for writing so much. Maybe I'll check out the triple wood. I paid 62 euros for the Uigedaeil, which seems to be cheaper than most online retailers.