We are taking things back to basics with this article. Many a whisky blog will contain articles about whiskies too rare/expensive/sold out/old for you to actually go out and buy so this is the tonic to soothe your soul. The standard Laphroaig 10 is a classic example of an ongoing core release which stamps the house style onto the branding of the distillery. If the flavour profile of this malt changes then all the other bottles in the range and general direction of the brand will follow.

The Dram

The Laphroaig 10 is the standard age stated version of Laphroaig. There is a select version which most people don’t like. I am not most people however.

It has a classic branding and packaging which signals to the raw and classic flavours of Islay you get in the bottle. The whisky itself is coloured and filtered and watered down to 40% but most people are ok with that because of the raw elemental experience you still get with this whisky. It is widely available in the UK at least in all the major and local supermarkets at around the £30 mark.

Tasting Notes

Colour – E150a

Nose – The classic Laphroaig notes of TCP, medicinal peat smoke, Salinity and then a fruity note of cooking apples and lemons.

Palate – The palate follows the nose which is a theme in official house style bottlings which follow a brief. The texture is clean and silky with a touch a bite of sea salt.

Finish – The finish is longer than I had expected given the presentation. It’s full of ash and peat smoke

Final Thoughts

This version of the 10 seems more palatable and approachable than perhaps I remember from a few years ago. Certainly far less intense than the Quarter Cask which was always full of smoked bacon and charred meat flavours to me. This is a more herbaceous and raw spirit experience but still a must try for everyone. If you don’t like it now then that’s ok but try it again in a couple of years and see if your palate has evolved.

People will tell you this Laphroaig isn’t like Laphroaig of old and that may be true but this is still a raw whisky full of Islay character. The personality might have changed but so have all of us and that is no bad thing.