Laphroaig’s Lore has long been one of the distillery’s most compelling expressions, a rich and layered dram that showcases what this iconic Islay producer can do with older stock and careful cask selection.
So when the newest Cairdeas release arrived as a cask strength version of the Lore at a punchy 59.6% ABV, the obvious question demanded answering: how does it stack up against the standard Lore at 48%? I sat down with both bottles side by side, and the results surprised even me.
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Let me set the stage. The standard Lore runs north of $200 and is a permanent fixture on shelves. The Cairdeas, as a limited annual release, came in at roughly $100 less. That price gap matters because of what it implies about age. I’d estimate the standard Lore carries an average age somewhere around 17 years, likely incorporating whiskies up to 21 years old alongside some younger components.
The Cairdeas, by contrast, drinks like it averages around 10 or 11 years. Both are non-chill-filtered, and both employ a blend of bourbon and sherry casks. On paper, the standard Lore should dominate. In practice, the story played out very differently.
The Cairdeas absolutely owns the nose. It delivers everything I love about Laphroaig in concentrated form: salt, wet rock, a slight medicinal edge, woodchar, and a gorgeous magic marker note. But then it layers on something truly special. Think of a charred apple covered in honey and thrown on the barbecue. That sweet, smoky, hickory-forward character is stunning, and the higher ABV amplifies every detail without bringing any overwhelming heat.
It actually reminded me of some of the better Octomores I’ve had over the years. The standard Lore’s nose, while pleasant, felt muted in comparison. You get many of the same notes, just dialed back considerably.
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On the palate, the standard Lore shows its age advantage with a refined, well-integrated complexity. This is your “wearing a suit at a dinner party” Laphroaig, the kind of dram that will appeal to Lagavulin 16 and Macallan drinkers who want something elegant and contemplative.
But its finish falls short, fading a little too quickly for the price point. The Cairdeas, meanwhile, delivers a long, robust finish where the cask strength ABV truly earns its keep. It’s a punch-you-in-the-face pour in the best possible way.
In the end, I scored the standard Lore an 87 out of 100 and the Cairdeas an 88, possibly an 89. I genuinely tried to find faults with the Cairdeas and came up empty. It is one of the best products Laphroaig has put out in a long time.
If you prefer a more relaxed, contemplative sipper, the standard Lore remains a quality choice. But if you want intensity, character, and that unmistakable Islay barbecue smoke turned up to eleven, the Cairdeas dominates head to head.
For my money, at a lower price and with more personality, the Cairdeas is the clear winner. So which style of Laphroaig speaks to you: the refined dinner party dram, or the bold, cask strength bruiser?
To see the full head-to-head, watch my YouTube video.
