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Laphroaig 10 Year Old Whisky
by CallMeRalph
When it comes to whisky I am a big fan. Now when I say whisky I don't mean a bottle of Bells or Famous Grouse, I'm talking about real whisky. High quality single malt whisky, the kind you have to spend a little bit more money on. I have been drinking whisky for around ten year and over the time I have refined my taste and now I have a ... pretty good idea of what I do like and what I don't like. For those of you who know anything about whisky you will realise there is a lot of variety and a lot of very different tastes.
For me personally then I enjoy the Islay whiskies. These are usually quite peaty and smokey and have an intense flavour. They are the opposite of say a Speyside whisky which is smooth and mellow with quite a soft finish. It's interesting that Islay is only a very small island off the West Coast of Scotland but it produces a massive amount of whisky. There are several small distilleries on the island that produce some wonderful whisky. One of the best known distilleries and one of the best is Laphroaig.
So Laphroaig whisky is one that is notoriously peaty, has a heavy smoke taste and is string and full bodied. This particular review is for the standard ten year version, this is the one you are most likely to see in the Supermarket. Laphroaig do however make lots of other versions of their whisky including some older ones, a quarter cask version and a few special editions. Most of these are far more expensive and tend to be out of my price range.
So what do I make of the ten year? Well although this does fit into my favourite category of whisky it does not rank in my top ten. I do like the standard Lephroaig but there are much better ones out there at a similar price. The ten year has quite a sharp taste for me, the finish is a little strong and leaves you pulling a face like you've just bitten into a lemon. The peaty is strong and there is a good smokey flavour but there is something a little bitter about the taste.
Laphroaig is quite dark in colour and comes in at 40% which is not as strong as some other versions. When you have had a dram you can taste a saltiness which reminds you of the sea and you also get quite a rich flavour, certainly not unpleasant. If you are looking to buy a bottle of this it will usually set you back around £30, often this one is in the supermarkets and so you can sometimes get it on offer. A few months back I picked up a bottle for £24, so not bad value at all.
Overall then this is a very decent whisky but not one that I am a huge fan of. For new whisky drinkers who like peaty whisky then this is one that you should definitely try. The flavour packs a decent punch and is very full. Plus the price is pretty good and if you get it on offer it can be a real bargain.
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Laphroaig 10 Year Old Whisky
by staceyspiers
Despite having spend considerable time in Scotland I never got into whiskey's, I cast my mind back to the time I was dragged around the Edinburgh scotch whiskey experience and I remember finding the Islay whiskey the best of a bad lot.
Someone quite recently gave me a glass of this stuff at their house, and I slowly but surely ... got my way through the glass, wincing and trying to look like I was enjoying the stuff which I was repeatedly told cost over £30 a bottle.
One day I felt like I needed to know more about scottish whiskey, especially as I was destined to go back up there, so I got a bottle of this stuff (which I found out was indeed over £30 a bottle, and was an Islay whiskey which I do remember liking).
With a head full of newly aquired whiskey knowledge, and a beaker full of Laphroaig (which I still can't say properly, but apprantly it's pronounced "la-froyg" and not "la-frayg").
Determined to like it, or at least to appreciate it, I set about my challenge of forcing me to aquire an aquired taste, and to then write a nice little review of my experiences.
It is a light colour, more like straw colour rather than the 'strong tea' you usually associate with whiskey. It smells incredibly smokey, as strong as a bonfire. In terms of taste it takes a while to start to like it but once my throat becomes slightly numb from the alcohol I can taste the subtle flavours in the whiskey- I found out the trick is to ignore the alcohol burn and concentrate hard on the first taste you get in your mouth- so to not drink it like a wine really. I'm no whiskey buff but it is certainly a complex flavoursome whiskey, and it is pretty well regarded so it makes a good present for any whiskey fan (although if they're a fan they probably have some already).
On the palate there is a smokey taste, but with a very sweet taste too, it's sharp and almost medicinal- I actually like it and I can make one small glass last all night as the after taste is so strong.
If you're a whiskey nut you're probably laughing at this review, but if you want to try something quite special, or get a gift for someone, then this is a good bet, and even if it doesn't get drunk by the recipiant then it looks great on the shelf and whiskey buffs will see if and give you a knowing smile.
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