Laphroaig: Salty peated single malt pleasure

Tasting in honor of Laphroaig Live 2012, five proposed whiskies. I have all of them but Ardmore so I will taste three Laphroaigs and Connemara.

I missed the online event for a matter of hours so I sorted the whiskies as I though it could be best. I think that the drams has been sorted slightly different on the online tasting with Connemara and Ardmore being tasted in last place.

A very interesting peated tasting and I have delicious peat smell in all the room while I am writing this post.

Connemara Irish Single Malt Peated Whiskey

“Very nice irish whiskey, soft fruity peat at its highest splendor”

87

Connemara produce a peated Irish single malt, named for the area in Ireland.

Distilled at Cooley distillery in Cork, Ireland. The last of the independent irish distilleries before it was bought by Beam Global.

Connemara is a peated whisky, not in the style of Islay peat monsters but more like the Japanese Hakushu. Smoky and slightly peated with an awesome amount of fruits. It won't disappoint you.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (86): more than average. peat, fruits, floral, citrus, bananas. Peated but overall this irish whiskey smells very fruity.

Palate (87): powerful. peat, spices, coffee, fruity, banana. Lightly spiced peat.

Finish (87): longer than average. peat, honey, wood .

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Connemara with 87 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

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• Buy on Master of Malt for £34.00
• Buy on The Drink Shop for £35.20

Laphroaig 10 years old

“Lovely peat, so healthy in a rainy day like this one! Only Laphroaig delivers this great medicine”

90

Laphroaig 10 Year Old is an all-malt Scotch Whisky from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland. Laphroaig, pronounced "La-froyg", is a Gaelic word meaning "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay".

In making Laphroaig, malted barley is dried over a peat fire. The smoke from this peat, found only on Islay, gives Laphroaig its particularly rich flavour.

Laphroaig is the best selling Islay single malt in the world and not without reason! Great whisky.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (90): strong. peat, iodine, seaweed, salt, citrus. Marvelous! Macho-peat!

Palate (91): powerful, oily. peat, wood, honey, citrus, spices, earth, salt.

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, honey, salt.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Laphroaig 10 year with 90 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:

• Buy on Drink Supermarket for £35.99
• Buy on Master of Malt for £40.33
• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £40.45
• Buy on The Drink Shop for £44.35

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

“More sweet and less "macho" than Laphroaig 10 years old. A very good whisky nonetheless and it does a great work blended with 1/5 of Lagavulin ;)”

90

A vibrant young Laphroaig whose maturation has been speeded up by ageing in Quarter Casks. This shows soft sweetness and a velvety feel when first tasted, then the intense peatiness so unique to Laphroaig comes bursting through. A really terrific whisky and great value.

This dram has a gold-like color.

Nose (90): more than average. peat, honey, sea, citrus.

Palate (91): powerful, oily. peat, honey, seaweed, salt, pepper, citrus, earthy. Explendid!

Finish (90): longer than average. peat, honey, citrus.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Laphroaig Quarter Cask with 90 points over 100.

Buy this bottle at

Save money when you buy Single Malt Whisky online. Check for the best prices from best online shops below:

• Buy on The Whisky Exchange for £34.95
• Buy on Master of Malt for £41.44
• Buy on The Drink Shop for £45.46

Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin

“I can't think of a better way of celebrating 18 of Friends of Laphroaig club, of which I am just another proud member! Slainte Mhath friends!”

91

This dram has a fino-like color.

Nose (91): more than average. peat, honey, spices, seaweed, citrus, pears. Slightly more complex than 10 years old and Quarter Cask. This Laphroaig smells like a hidden peat-monster...

Palate (92): powerful, oily. peat, honey, pepper, salt, seaweed, earth. More salty than the other Laphroaig whiskies that I have tasted.

Finish (91): longer than average. peat, honey, spices, sea, salt.

So based on other whiskies I have already tasted I rate this Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin with 91 points over 100.

Miguel says…

Argh! Lovely whiskies!

Laphroaig 10 years old is a solid peat experience and for a very fair price and this year Cairdeas whisky is so good that remind me of the old 10 years old Cask Strength single malt. Powerfully salty!

Connemara is a nice whisky but it is far from its Islay companions.

Share your thoughts! comments written.