![]() I really enjoy the intensity and the flavors, but I expected a little more citrus sweetness. It’s not delicate it’s a smoky, meaty, and powerful beast that will take control of your palate. This is an incredibly potent and savory scotch. Some sweetness also reappears, and that mix of sweet, smoky, and savory is like BBQ sauce. The tastes of smoke and dried seaweed linger in my mouth. Adding water doesn’t do much to open it up, but it does introduce a slightly grassy taste. Unless you plan on leaving it in your mouth for a minute, it shouldn’t become overwhelming. Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength is a small batch Scotch from the legendary Scottish island of Islay, also home to other famous distilleries such as Lagavulin. It’s still very smoky and medicinal with a little bit of sweetness, but the alcohol becomes much stronger the longer I leave it in my mouth. Not much changes after swirling it in my mouth. The alcohol is noticeable but subdued throughout, and creates a thick mouthfeel. As I keep searching, I taste just the tiniest hint of a grain biscuit. While the smoky meatiness is by far the most powerful taste, there’s also a light taste of peach and caramel that is noticeable on the tip of my tongue. The mix of smoke, burnt wood, salt, and spice create the taste of smoked and seasoned meat, like brisket or beef jerky, as well as mushrooms. Just as expected, the taste is very smoky and savory. If you’re not used to peat, be prepared to be shocked and overwhelmed. Even better, the alcohol is subdued so it doesn’t clash with the peat. Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength does a great job of capturing the uninhibited ocean-y, funky, and smoky essence of peated scotch. My final point is I prefer Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 over the current version of Lagavulin 16 and it’s not close. The Laphroaig 10 is great for the money though (usually 10 cheaper than Ardbeg 10). It’s more complex than the Laphroaig 10 with a much longer and enjoyable finish. That mix of wood and smoke smells like barbequed meat on the grill. Conversely Ardbeg 10 is my favorite entry level peated Scotch. As the glass empties and the smell of alcohol subsides, I smell a little bit of charred wood. Even with swirling, the alcohol remains subdued.Īdding water does little to tone down the peat, but it does introduce a subtle nutty note and slightly more citrus. With time, some sweet black licorice and cocoa. Tends more toward cold fireplace and mothball aromas. Full peat smoke with antiseptic, though less medicinal than Lagavulin. There’s also something reminiscent of salty dried seaweed that makes me think of ocean air, with its mix of seaweed, salt, decaying matter, and funk. Laphroaig has never been a favourite of mine, but since my experience with the 10 year old has been limited I figured I would give it a shot. Peat is still the dominant scent, but now I can smell a little vanilla and some pear and apricot. The second round of smelling is different as my nose adjusts to the peat. Once I get past the peat, there are light to moderate notes of caramel, honey, and pear. There’s also vegetal smells of mushrooms and broccoli mixed in there. It reminds me of how my shirt smells after being at an outdoor barbeque for a few hours. It’s a funky combination of dust, moss, salt, burnt grass, and smoke. As the sage Jay-Z says, “ It’s not a diss song, it’s just a real song.Very intense peat immediately comes rushing out the glass and up my nostrils. ![]() Either way, no offense is meant to the brands called out here. Maybe you reject what they say, or maybe it inspires you to broaden your horizons. With this aim, we asked some of our favorite bartenders to share the most overrated Scotches on the market. Definition of Laphroaig in the dictionary. Maybe a smokier or sweeter or oakier bottle. Taking a break from more media-friendly, well-distributed expressions gives you a chance to branch out into something different. Make sure you like its flavors, not just its marketing.Īfter all, the world is full of choices and the most famous drams might not always be the most enjoyable. Medium caramel in the glass, the Laphroaig 10 Year Old, which is their entry level Scotch, looks like any other whisky out there. We’re simply reminding fellow aficionados to taste their whisky, rather than going off of brand perceptions. And we’re definitely not shaming you for drinking what you like. No one’s trying to put these brands on blast or knock them down a peg. Sometimes terms like “ overrated” and “ over-hyped” conjure the wrong idea.
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