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Whisky Review: Laphroaig 10 Year Old

Laphroaig 10 Year Old is the flagship expression from the famous Islay distillery. How does it hold up under scrutiny?

OVERALL RATING

8
$47
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

An absolutely classic example of Islay whisky. A smoky, dry, intense, world renowned liquid that will split the room when the smell of it hits peoples nostrils.
Appearance:
Light Orange
Nose:
I mean, this is the alcohol equivalent of a chemical fire, and I really love it. The TCP, the iodine the dryness! There is something about the dry quality of Laphroaig, even the cork sounds super dry as your try to pry it from the bottle. Just like everything else in this whisky, even the cork puts up a flight.

Underneath this pungent approach are some wonderful notes that I always get from Laphroaig – white chocolate and hazelnut. There is some very creamy and sweet qualities to the nose which are always overlooked. Understandably so, they are hiding underneath a giant tyre fire.
Palate:
Quite a sweet arrival with banana and Victoria sponge cake. As this is only bottled at 40% you don’t quite get the instant impact of smoke that the nose offers, but it grows. As you move it around your palate the smoke starts to show its face but still in a pretty subtle way. The sweetness and smokiness combined to give you a smoked dark chocolate taste, this also has a decent level of saltines running around it, too. Sweeter than you might think.
Finish:
Smoke and spice finishes everything off. It’s like smoked tea, burnt herbs, a little jolt of Cajun spice and jalapeño. Then the smokiness starts to lie over your tongue in the wake of all of these darker, culinary flavours.
Comments:
I love this stuff. It’s potent, flavorful, affordable, available, divisive, and much sweeter than I remember it being. An absolute staple for any home bar.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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