For any Peat Lovers, or more specifically, Laphroaig Lovers, This is probably the most underrated bottle of whisky out there. I must admit, I have not had the cask strength. People are saying it's similar, so I'm less interested, since I have this and the 23. I'm eyeing up the 16. I hear the 25, which is absurdly well priced considering a Laga is 110 dollars. Would love some direction on that to anyone reading! I relate this bottle to the Ledaig line of Tobermory; it will catch on, and when it does, people will be checking every price gouging shop and auction site out there. Personally, I don't care about the age. Laga 8 got me there. I don't care if it looks like I'm drinking moonshine. But I think us Scotch enthusiasts deserve to know if the product is colored or CF. I know it's a law in Germany for color. We're paying absurd prices and reading about creeks and hollows by the bay on our 18 year old bottles and they're dumping burnt caramel in it. Chill filtration isn't as big of an issue to me. Not a fan, but it's impossible to know unless you had two different bottles from the same cask. Blind tests seem to lean towards not relevant. I also think Highland Park 18 puts that to rest, considering it's laughably textured and viscous. Worth it just for the mouthfeel. NAS is a little lame, but I think for the opposite reason others think... Wee Beastie is a great casual drinker...After a few NAS and color comparisons, I think it's to protect distilleries from divulging that there's 15, 16, and 22 year old leftover stock in the mix. I mean look at Lagavulin 8. It's colored and looks like a chardonnay lol. Going to see significant decrease in many mega priced 16+ year olds if that were true and known. (just a theory) I haven't had a better Islay. Waaay too drinkable. Seriously. Give your backup bottle to a friend in AA to hide it for you. Same for the 23! It's absolutely beautiful. Fresh and salty. Sweet bourbon background. Fresh Brine. Do I have to say anything about peat? Yes. It's a little more leathery and subdued and feels older on the nose. Much older. A little nutty. At 52.2 percent it takes a deep dive until you reach that alcohol note. Masterfully crafted. Far more complex than I expected. There's a delayed warmth as well. Slightly spicey, but no alcohol burn. The first fill only cask is definitely noticeable. Laphroaig in a bottle. Seriously. I think this specific release encapsulates 90 percent of what the distillery is, while being far more approachable for non Laphroaig lovers. The 23, more-so. Another top notch bottle, but sometimes a little too salty. Can't go wrong with either. Any insight on the 16 and 25 would be appreciated. Also, the 24 is arriving August? Cheers.
As good a representation the W1 2022 is , I prefer the 2023 Cairdeas White Port. I think you are correct that in time the W1 will be a well sort after offering. Looking forward to this years release… Cheers 🥃
Cheers John, great review as always. Haven’t bought a Cairdeas for years for years, overpriced young whisky in my view. I do enjoy the 10CS releases and also the releases from a UK indie bottler which are consistently excellent. Looking forward to your 100th review!
Hi John. Well done for being very quick on the draw with this year's Cairdeas! Great review. I've been enjoying my bottle too. I really enjoy these 'straight forward' bourbon matured Cairdeas...es (Cairdai?) like this and the 2015. I do agree that the 10CS is better bang for buck though. Interesting point about water vs oxidation. IMHO they do very different things although water can *sometimes* achieve some of the same goals. I'm like you though, I don't add water unless it's really needed. If a whisky is a bit harsh from the neck pour I'm more likely to try leaving the cork out overnight which speeds up the airing process. Cheers!
Great review as always John! I tried this when it came out, head to head with the 10 CS Batch 4. Being younger and maturing in the Warehouse 1 I was expecting a full hit of peat and brine, much stronger than the 10 CS but honestly I was a bit underwhelmed. If I had this blind, I would say it's a Laphroaig 10 CS but probably had been sitting with half the bottle gone and lost it's oomph. Tells you how great the 10 CS is :)
I'll open mine real soon. For me, same price as Sherry Oak Finish and CS, so no brainer. Sorry to see a premium placed on this in other markets. Great, honest review. You are right I believe, it's not actually cask strength.
This one was good. All Laphroaig is good. It wasn't as good as last years Cairdeas but i think i prefer the sherry and port casks. I saw Paul at the Garden years ago and he put on one of the best shows I've seen.
White Port & Madeira will be the next Cairdeas… Thanks for tuning in and subscribing Richard. I’ve seen Paul 3 times in past 30 years….always great although his voice is flailing in some songs. Beatles are the best! Cheers 🥃
I’m going to play some Live and Let Die after this review. I don’t know about this one. In my area these are $120. Years ago these were $80. I don’t know if I can spring that $$$ for it.
Wonder how these islay whiskies get saltiness taste? Just because the distillery is by the coast of the sea? The air brings seawater mist onto the barrel and through the thick barrel wall? Is it even possible? Or its an "unwritten rule" everyone must use when reviewing an islay whisky?
You can’t go wrong with the cask strength 10. The Lore replaced the 18 yr…supposedly the Lore is a marriage of older juice with some younger. I’ve heard there could even be 20 something juice in the Lore. There have been many batches of Lore, maybe some better than others but I would say if you can find it for around $100 or so, it would be a recommendation.
Ah..just as expected. A young 'bottle proof' bourbon matured Laphroaig.. I'll be hoping to not actually see this. Much easier than actually leaving it on the shelf. I thought the PX was a winner and it's still around for $100+. This might have been a lot better if some of the barrels they vatted from warehouse 1 were really old. That would have given us something to chew on.
I think it’s an honest representation of Laphroaig. I am a sucker for them at $90 price point but logic dictates the CS10 makes the most sense. Cheers 🥃
