Laphroaig Càirdeas 2020 Port & Wine Casks

Rating: 15/23 I had this set aside for some sort of modestly special occasion, but I wasn't sure which one. Coming up on my 1300th tasting, I was wondering what would be a suitable dram to choose. In the end, I chose this - partially because I didn't have anything that really matched up with the number 1300, but also partially because "Càirdeas" means 'friendship' and I sure have made some friends here along the way to this tasting. So, cheers to friendship and cheers to many more drams! Nose: Some classic smoke, but it's also sweet. I get a bit of youthful character like seaweed with a dearth of wood, but the wood gradually works its way in with a mellow, restrained profile. Despite the youthfulness on display here, the profile doesn't have any excess sulphur. It's just kind of lighter and more vegetal. I get a bit of underheated ham as well. It's fully cooked, but its fat hasn't really rendered and it smells kind of cool. It's funny that I don't really get a lot of port or wine influence here. There's some rich fruity sweetness filling this out, but it's mostly sort of a young, funky Laphroaig vibe. It isn't too young, but the balance is a bit off, in spite of the nice complexity. Palate: Medicinal and funky. There's a lot of bandaid and bitter dry numbingness like some sort of gauze wiped with antiseptic and menthol. Big iodine. I get some fruity sweetness too, along with sort of a rich fullness that reminds me of PX sherry. Obviously, I get peaty smoke. It's quite peaty this time, with just a touch of youthful alcohol meatiness. I get some burn off of it, but not an unreasonable amount for 52% ABV by any means. There's a lightness here, with minerality and stony creek water filling in where I normally would expect mellow bourbon barrel characteristics. There still are mild spicy, old wood, and vanilla notes, but there's a gap separating them from the core of the profile. I do also get a faint hint too much sulphur, but it isn't too bad. There are vegetal, herbal, spicy notes as well that befit the combination of peated scotch and PX sherry - except it isn't PX sherry here. So maybe they make the port and wine taste more like PX sherry? Finish: The finish retains some long-lived presence, but it's on the light side. The sweetness and other bold flavors retreat, leaving more toasty grain, malty still funk. It's less sweet than it was before, but it's not particularly bitter. I actually quite like this. It's more restrained and balanced than the other forms were. - Conclusion - This is a very nice release, despite being obviously youthful. Side-by-side, Ardbeg 10 (16/23) is much richer with more toffee and caramel, whereas this has far more vegetal-herbal character. There's no doubt that the Ardbeg is more mature and balanced than this. This is obviously younger and more challenging, but it's still worth pursuing. I'm enjoying this, but it is quite challenging. Amrut Peated (17/23) is clearly superior to this. I don't think that this is likely to be better than a lowish 16. I'm really thinking though that it's a 15. I like this, but what a disappointment it is. I hope it's just a fluke among Càirdeas releases, but my impression is that Laphroaig 10 (17/23) is clearly better than this. This just isn't mature enough and it tastes like the port and wind casks are trying to obscure that. Coming back for a final tasting, I'm appreciating this a bit more. The balance is still bad and the youthfulness is still quite apparent, but I like the peat presence. It's brash compared with The Shin 10 (16/23), which I also consider to be fairly brash. The Shin has a really nice mizunara flavor to it that this definitely doesn't have, but The Shin doesn't have the nice peat. In the end, I'm confident that Ardbeg 10 is better than this, but The Shin is closer. I recall the Ardbeg being a high 16 and The Shin being a low 16, so this is still right on the fence between 15 and 16. I ultimately think that this is not quite as good as The Shin, so I'm sticking with a 15.

Notes of rubber and slow-roasted char are present, alongside cooked vanilla, cooked coconut, and pine nuts. The fruit elements are subdued, appearing as fresh strawberry, bright cherries, and fleeting hibiscus. The medicinal, vegetal notes and more sharp smoke characteristics, typically found in other Laphroaigs, are less prominent. It does possess smoke, but it's a clean char, not a thick tar or asphalt flavor. Seaweed or kale are not detected. On the palate, there's pickled pear, smoked brisket, vanilla, more of that clean char, heather, rose hips, and pepper steak. However, the overwhelming sensation is brine. This is an exceptionally salty Laphroaig. In fact, if I were to compare all the Laphroaigs I've encountered in a tasting, this might be my top contender for the brine award. It could rival a place like Morton's. Fruit is absent. It's not like the 2013 Cairdeas Port Wood, Brodir, or the travel exclusive Port Wood Finish. It seems to have spent very little time in the casks. Honestly, I might have appreciated it more if it had been marketed simply as "Salt Lick" rather than highlighting "Port & Wine Casks." That, and the rubber. It tastes like a tire was spun on a salt flat, and you licked it. Of course, if you have the peculiar taste for Laphroaig, as I do, that's not entirely negative. It just lacks pronounced fruit flavors. The finish consists of soot, brine, black tea, a touch of marmalade, and lingering smoke. It's not incredibly intricate, though the soot and brine are quite enjoyable on their own. It's not sweet, but it would likely pair well with caramels. It seems designed to transform a sweet confection into something savory. The top of my mouth feels like a salty treasure chest. I thought I detected some pink grapefruit at one point, but that might have been imagination. Regarding the Cairdeas series, my ranking is as follows: 2013 Port Wood (unlikely to be surpassed, sadly) 2018 Fino 2015 200th Anniversary 2014 Amontillado 2016 Madeira 2020 Port & Wine 2017 Cask Strength Quarter Cask 2019 Cask Strength Triple Wood

Next in my Laphroaig exploration is a sample of the 2020 Caidreas Port and Wine, kindly shared by a friend. The nose starts with a blend of strawberry jam on toasted sourdough, tangy barbecue sauce on smoked short ribs, and faint diesel fumes, then light florals, dark chocolate mocha, and toasted almonds, followed by black cherries, raspberry sorbet, and tangerine orange, transitioning to light ginger and the smell of a freshly opened can of tennis balls with a significant ethanol burn. The taste has a medium body, beginning with creamy and slightly tart red berries, then a moderately bitter spice that quickly subsides into a mix of toasted sourdough, tangy barbecue sauce smoked brisket, light ocean brine, and faint diesel fumes, followed by light florals, dark chocolate-covered bacon, and almond croissant, then cherries jubilee, dehydrated raspberries, and tangerine orange, transitioning to light ginger, asphalt, and the smell of a freshly opened can of tennis balls with a significant ethanol burn. The finish is lengthy, starting with creamy sweet red berries and orchard fruits that recede into a background of smoky barbecued meats, light ocean brine, asphalt, and mildly bitter black tea. A truly delicious and robust dram where the wine and port casks have imparted slightly tart and sweet red berry flavors along with smoky meats, mild ocean brine, and light spices. It has some minor sour notes, and the palate leans more towards spices than I personally prefer, but overall, it's an exceptional dram that I believe any admirer of peated whiskies would greatly enjoy. At a price of approximately $90 upon release, this was another reasonably priced offering that provides a distinct variation from the typical Laphroaig character, which I would happily purchase if I found a bottle at the original retail price today. Ratings for the series thus far: 10-year cask strength batch 11- 3.75 10-year sherry oak finish- 4.0 Lore- 4.0 2019 Caidreas Triple Wood- 3.75 2020 Caidreas Port and Wine - 3.75

This specific Laphroaig expression is well-known, and this marks my fifth consecutive year enjoying them, from 2016 to 2020. While I've appreciated previous versions, I had high hopes for the Port & Wine Cask bottling. Smell: Typical Laphroaig profile. Salty sea air, kelp, ocean salt, iodine, a tennis ball, burning wood, and peat. Also, a medicinal note. Rich chocolate. A salty baked good. Hazelnuts. Lemon and a strong grapefruit aroma. A hint of salsa. Berries like blackberry and raspberry. Cola. Pungent spice and wood notes. Taste: Salty sea air, kelp, ocean salt, burning wood, and iodine. Medicinal and tennis ball qualities. Sweet salted caramel and deep chocolate. A touch of mint chocolate too. Sweet plum. Blackcurrant. Lemon and grapefruit flavors. Some confectionary notes: black licorice and a candy similar to Twizzlers. Toasted marshmallow, vanilla, and graham cracker. Combine that with the chocolate and you get s'mores. Smoldering tobacco and ash. Savory notes of black bean and chili pepper. Smoked brisket and other grilled meats. Pungent spice and wood notes. Aftertaste: Lingering. Dark chocolate. A hint of mint. Sea salt, kelp, and salty sea air. Campfire smoke, rubber, tobacco smoke, a medicinal note. More smoked meat. Savory notes of black bean and chili pepper. Pungent spice and wood notes. Outstanding. It's very likely among the very best Cairdeas releases, possibly the top one. I need more time with it to be certain. Regardless, it's remarkable. The port influence is noticeable even with the intense Laphroaig peat. The specific wine casks used aren't clear, but the blend of sweetness and peat is perfect. This one earns a top rating. A truly exceptional find. It's a powerful spirit at 52% ABV, yet it displays significant subtlety and depth. Everything contributing to this whisky's character enhances it—the casks and the peat create an incredibly effective synergy. It's striking and robust. My only regret is that this is a limited edition. Great job, Laphroaig.

Nose - medicinal peat, tennis ball, spoiled red fruit, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, iodine, vanilla, coconut, caramel, lemon, cinnamon, clove, leather, smoked meat, brine, peach, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - citrusy peat, strawberry, apple, raspberry, cranberry, rubber, cherry, lemon meringue, mint, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, toasted coconut, leather, brine, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with red fruit, mild peat, and citrus flavors. This is the end of my Laphroaig tasting series. I wish I could say that this is the best of the bunch, but it’s not for me. Don’t get me wrong, this is tasty stuff, but not quite at the level of the others I’ve tried. While present, that classic Laphroaig-ness is more difficult to identify here. I feel that they chose to bottle this at 52%, because it would have been much too anemic to sell at 43% or even 48%. The wine finish comes out more than the port on the nose and palate, and I wish that were flipped. The fruit notes are a bit off, which work really well in something like the Longrow Red Cab Sav I have, but it’s more dissonant here. Overall, it’s perfectly serviceable and I’ll happily finish the bottle, but I don’t feel this particular Cairdeas was worth what I paid, unlike the Triple Wood Cask Strength at the same price, which I liked very much. So my quest for an amazing Laphroaig continues. The closest I’ve gotten so far is probably Lore, but it’s unfortunately very far from a good value.

I couldn't wait to open this bottle of the new Laphroaig festival release, the Port & Wine Cask Cairdeas. I've been keen on Laphroaig port cask expressions since trying the 2013 Cairdeas Port, enjoying variations like the Brodir and the 2013 Cairdeas. This new release had a high priority for tasting. However, the port notes are quite subdued, almost absent. It presents a lot of red wine dryness and non-iodine, BBQ-like meatiness, but lacks port sweetness and depth. The appearance is appealing, and the BBQ smoke and easy-drinking nature offer a fine, almost sessionable experience. Yet, I expect more pronounced port character from a Port Laphroaig. I'm giving it an initial average score, but might revise it after some oxidation. Including import costs, the price was $150 USD per bottle. For a little more, I could find 2013 Cairdeas Port Wood bottles and be fully content. If you're a Laphroaig enthusiast, it's a worthwhile addition, but you could also wait for a superior option if you have patience. 3.5 stars initially. Enjoy.