Laphroaig PX Cask

Laphroaig PX Cask 48% Triple Matured Travel Retail Exclusive The Laphroaig PX Cask is exclusively available in travel retail but can be easily found online through auctions at a reasonable cost. It's quite similar to their Cairdeas line of wine finishes, but this one is triple matured, making it akin to the Triple Wood but with a PX finish. Smell - Very pleasant - sweet, peat, raisins, fruit cake, fresh dark red fruits, brine/salt, medicinal. It carries the typical Laphroaig scents enhanced by holiday-like dark red fruits and fruit cake. Taste - The initial sensation is a burst of sweet flint/ash, quickly followed by the rich, oily seaweed blast expected from Laphroaig. Adding water completely eliminates the ash and reveals the dark red fruits. Notes of campfire, peat, smoke, oil, brine, raisins/fig/dates. It evokes the taste of a holiday fruitcake if it were prepared with Laphroaig. Finish - Brine/Seaweed, Medicinal... more of a standard Laphroaig finish, yet it retains some of the bitter red fruit and the initial ash sensation returns. Whether this is good or bad likely depends on your current preference. While I'm unaware of the specifics of the other two casks from the three-cask maturation, the PX influence is certainly evident. I find this bottling very intriguing but not something I'd reach for daily. It's not among my favorite Laphroaigs. I would still prefer Laphroaig 10 CS over this any day, but considering you can acquire it from auctions for considerably less than the Cairdeas bottlings AND it's a 1L bottle, it's worth a try if you're a Laphroaig enthusiast. Overall Rating: B-

Comparing with Càirdeas 2024 Cask Favorites to observe how Pedro Ximenez influence manifests in each bottling. The PX version is distinctly darker and exhibits a reddish/maroon hue, while the Cask Favorites is more of a rose gold. Nose: rich, sweet, with spice. Syrupy dark and dried fruits. Craisin, dried plum/cherry, dried vanilla bean, and baking spice. Earthy sherry notes. A subtle hint of charred oak. Pronounced salinity, reminiscent of a coastal/maritime peat fire. -- In comparison, the 2024 Càirdeas is noticeably more forward with vanilla and charred oak, yet still retains a pleasant element of the sticky PX influence. Palate: dark, sweet, fruity with a pleasant, robust medicinal and phenolic Laphroaig peat undertone. Black cherry, dried dark fruits, a hint of dark mixed berry/currant jam. A touch of vanilla and a nice overall Christmas spice character. It finishes with drying tannic charred oak and bitter cacao. -- The Càirdeas 2024 presents a noticeably stronger cinnamon/spice character, along with more vanilla and robust oakiness. Finish: the peat is prominent here, ash-like, phenolic, and with a pleasant strong salty sea spray. Charred oak warmth is also present. -- The Càirdeas '24 remains spicier and warmer, with more oak and less maritime character on the finish. It has a bit more dark chocolate flavor.

I've noticed the color has gotten distinctly browner since the last time I opened it. 🤔 Perhaps it's time to invest in some nitrogen canisters. Nose: Starts with classic Laphroaig peat smoke; as you adjust, sherry notes of damp dustiness emerge. Cherry and red wine are also present, possibly blackberry/blackcurrant? Woody oak appears, creating a drying sensation. A pleasant floral sweetness is also detected. Hints of maple syrup? As I've consumed more, vanilla has begun to show itself. Palate: Quite chewy/thick. Still a strong presence of smoke and peat phenols; this is unequivocally a Laphroaig. Earthy, smoky, with a potent saltiness. I recall this being lighter/brighter on the palate previously. The sherry influence is noticeable, though less so than on the nose. Mildly sweet, with definite dark stewed fruit notes. Perhaps some plum? A hint of blackberry? I'm now detecting more of the quarter cask's robust and astringent wood characteristics, having tried that expression. Finish: Mildly tannic wood, with the characteristic rubbery/phenolic Laphroaig finish notes present, though seemingly less intense than, say, the 10 year. There's also some lingering fruit sweetness.

I had been searching for a Laphroaig bottle for some time, as it was one of the first whiskies I tried, but I couldn't settle on one. I enjoyed the Brodir but not enough to purchase it. I'd heard great things about the Cairdeas Port Wood, but it's now impossible to find. So, I impulsively chose this one during a rare visit to my local whisky shop these days. The aroma is unmistakably Laphroaig, with a deep, dark, rich, syrupy sherry layer at its base that pierces through like a beskar spear. Surrounding it are notes of iodine and brine, like a cold Islay day after a storm. It's just as wild and raw. On the palate, Islay peat with salt, old wet wood, and sour grapes. Then, after a blast of cold ash, the PX comes through, coating the entire mouth with delicious sherry notes that interplay with the raw fiery smoke and steamy charcoal. What an exciting whisky. It's not as profound and rich as I had hoped, but if you give it time, it's hard to find fault with it. It's raw, wild, untamed, interesting, strong, distinctive, honest, a little playful, and very Islay.

When you mention peat and sherry, I'm immediately interested. This Laphroaig travel retail exclusive is triple matured, with one of the aging periods in a Pedro Ximenez Cask. I must say, I anticipated more, but it's still a fine dram. Bottled at 48% ABV, Tawny. The nose isn't very potent. Sherry-sherry: not that dried raisin fruit taste. Wisps of smoke. The typical Laphroaig herbal, medicinal note. A little cake frosting, vanilla cream that's very thick, reminding me of GlenDronach 12. Oregano and prunes. The palate is an atomic bomb. Incredible. So potent and full of character. Red fruits, wine, grapes, and a full smoky barbecue sensation on the palate. It feels like smoking. Ashy. Peppery. Different from other Laphroaigs. The sherry is noticeable. The aftertaste is wild. Long and refreshing, with two phases: the first is a herbal mouth-filling sensation, and when it ends, it reignites like those trick birthday candles, leaving some lingering spice behind your teeth. Overall, I believe it's a fine, interesting dram, but not very balanced or easy to drink due to its intensity. Nevertheless, 92 out of 100 is a perfect score for it.

Enjoying a beautiful Laphroaig on the porch at sunset. Life is grand. Nose: A noticeable but gentler peat, sea air, syrupy candied/dried fruit, with notes of dried cherry and plum appearing. Hints of black pepper, vanilla, baking spices, and prominent oak are also present. Palate: Sweet and syrupy, with rich dark fruit, accompanied by Laphroaig's characteristic peat and saltiness in the background. A strong dark chocolate note is present, along with subtle vanilla cream. It's reminiscent of chocolate-covered cherries/raisins. Sharp wood notes emerge as it shifts towards the finish, bringing tannins and aromatic baking spices. Finish: Oak tannins, lasting earthy peat phenols, ash, raisin/date. Note: Adding a few drops of water slightly reduces the syrupy texture and enhances the wood notes, likely from the quarter casks, on the palate. Vanilla becomes more prominent, and the oak tannins and barrel toast/char are slightly more evident on the finish.