Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength (Batch 15)

I've wanted this bottle for ages, so I'm unsure if my 3.75 rating stems from unmet expectations or an objective assessment that it's not quite as good as I'd hoped. For clarity, I'm a big fan of Laphroaig and peated whiskies. You know how peat lovers sometimes see a low rating from someone who dislikes peat, and you wonder why they even commented? Everyone has their own taste. My point is, I'm exactly the target audience for Laphroaig Cask Strength. I enjoy peat, Laphroaig 10, recent bottlings like the PX and Warehouse 1, standard Ardbegs, and Lagavulin Distiller's Edition. I've sampled enough to know this style is my favorite. So, why the 3.75 rating? Let me tell you about a place called McGlinchey's in Philadelphia. It's a dive bar that found a loophole in the smoking ban. Back in the early 2000s, my friends who smoked would hang out there. I don't smoke, but I'd join them for the company and come home smelling like the bottom of an ashtray. That's the issue with this whisky neat: the aroma and taste are great, but the finish is like licking an ashtray. Hence, 3.75 when served straight, perhaps even leniently, considering that finish. Basically, it needs water for the finish to work. Without it, the nose offers tar, ash, and leather, missing the typical Laphroaig 10 iodine and band-aid notes I expect, though I do like the nose neat. Unwatered, the palate adds a slight caramel sweetness to the tar, leather, and ash, which is pleasant. However, that final ashtray note, without water, detracts from the overall experience. I opened this on New Year's Eve after trying other whiskies, and the lingering effects might have influenced my perception. The ashy finish was more pronounced after sweeter drams. When I have this first, the ash is less noticeable, which I appreciate, but it's still there and unpleasant. Adding a splash of water changes things. The enjoyable nose becomes less appealing but still intriguing. A friend described it as smelling like "shorted out electronics," and he's right, which is fitting given his profession. My father suggested it smelled like ozone before a thunderstorm, which is quite poetic for him. Whether that's better than tar, leather, and ash is subjective, but I've never encountered ozone or burnt electronics in a whisky before, so Laphroaig 10 CS gets credit for that novelty. With water, caramel comes forward on the palate, pushing the leather and tar back, and the ash largely disappears from the finish, becoming more peppery. Ideally, combining the neat nose with the palate and finish with water would elevate this to a 4.25. As it stands, I'm sticking with 3.75 relative to other Islay whiskies. Compared to all whiskies I've tried, it's closer to a 4-star rating. I'd been eyeing this for three years, but it was initially outside my budget. Now it fits, and I eagerly purchased it when a limited release appeared nearby. Am I happy I got it? Absolutely. Would I buy it again? Definitely. Do I prefer the Warehouse 1, even though that one divided opinions? Yes, and I might get another if it's still available next month. Still, I wouldn't pass this up either. It's completely original. Ozone, burnt electronics. Have you ever heard of such a thing?

I'll be going through my Laphroaig collection over the next few days... starting with the 10 OCS, Batch 15. The nose is sweet and mildly medicinal, but not the overwhelming formaldehyde scent of the regular 10. Earthy peat, cough syrup, a smoky finish with some bitterness that sweetens to caramel as it sits. Most people would likely find this more enjoyable with a bit of water.

Surprisingly less smoky and medicinal than the standard (43%) 10 year. Notes of new rubber and licorice, tart green apple, with pleasant chocolate-covered pretzels. With added water, it becomes more recognizable with hints of iodine, band-aids, and antiseptic. Still significantly different from the standard CS version that is well-liked.

Peaty and fantastic. Buy it if you see it. It's much deeper and more complex than the standard 10, and surprisingly less medicinal.

A lovely whisky. The cask strength contributes a slight burn to both the aroma and taste. Notes of medicine and mild latex are present. A few drops of water reveal notes of brown sugar and caramel.

Nose: It clearly carries the character of the 10, but with amplified alcohol heat. Palate: Amplified malt notes, similar to the 10. Finish: Sweeter malt notes.