Laphroaig 18 Year

LAPHROAIG 18 YEAR

There’s a real expression of terroir in Laphroaig’s fantastic 18-year iteration.  It’s said that Laphy get much of their distinctive maritime tang from the relatively higher amounts of moss in the peat they use, and, after all, what purer expression of terroir could you imagine than malting your barley over smouldering terroir?  Baby coal rears its naughty head in petroleate aromas in Laphroaig’s quarter cask offerings, but here the peat is coastal and airy; the wonderful balance and elegant texture of the 10-year are ratcheted up several notches, which, perhaps counter-intuitively, results in a more subtle, feminine whisky.

nose:  Alive with mossy stones-after-rain, pineapples and slate.  There’s a gentle, warm tropicality here, like banana pudding and sweet roasted walnuts, overarched by gorgeous, feminine smoke.   A note of fleshy saddle leather adds a compelling, earthy aspect to the outro. 

palate:  Beautiful, plush coils of smoke; candied lemons and country ham, salty and bright; a flirtatious core of berries- kirsch and something darker, more sylvan; incense ash and chai spices, particularly cardamom and black pepper, towards the end.  The finish is a riotous bloom of sweet citrus and clean seawater; tastes like love and piney campfire.    All this is dressed up in an unbelievably supple, sensuous mouthfeel that gets the blood racing with its length and concupiscent, unctuous texture.   It rings in the mouth for minutes afterwards, glorying in this marvelous texture and Islay provenance.