Laphroaig QC versus other Laphroaigs

I will be first in line for when you give away your bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask. I find the Quarter Cask to be quite a bit sweeter than both the standard 10 and the Cask Strength 10, because of the additional wood exposure that the Quarter Cask whisky gets during aging. BUT, either the standard Laphroaig 10 or the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength will also start to get pretty sweet if you let them oxidise for a few months. The easiest thing for you to do to find out would be to just taste some samples of the 10 year olds and see for yourself.

@Victor Thanks Victor. You are right, the best thing is to go and sample both of the 10 year olds from Laphroaig. I am encouraged by you saying that the QC does seem to be the sweetest, though. I find I don't mind the level of sweetness I find in the Ardbeg 10 and Ugeadail, so maybe the regular 10 year olds from Laphroiag will be more to my liking than the QC, being at they are not quite as sweet. I shall sample and find out!

The Laphroaig 10 YO might be my favourite dram ever, from my favourite distillery ever. Why? I have no idea. Many find it just an explosion of peat smoke, with few other notes. Most people I know prefer the QC to the 10. And I love the QC, so I'm surprised you find it disappointing. But it's subjective. I know there are other malts out there that are more complex, more subtle, better crafted, etc etc. But I loves me my Laphroaig 10 and that's all there is to it, so I urge you to just try it.

@talexander just curious, t, is the 40% your favorite? I have a bottle of the 40% for the Canada market in the closet, and it's a whole different malt than the USA 43% 10 year old. I love them both; they're simply not alike.

For me the 10yo Cask Strength is the winner by far (and I love the new collect-them-all batches).

That said I find the standard 10yo the least sweet of the bunch. It is my personal benchmark scotch. I love all the other Islay malts you mentioned, but to me this is the foundation of Islay peated whisky (just my opinion).

While I do enjoy the QC I can totally see it being on the sweet side. Not so with the standard 10yo. I find it all earthy peat and iodine (and certain bottles can even have a slight bitter finish to them . . . but not in an unpleasent way!)

@two-bit cowboy. Out here on the west coast of Canada we get the 43% version. The 1 litre duty free bottle I got on the way back from Seattle was at 40%. I like them both but the 43 has a bit more body and a bit longer finish. I find them both better neat than with water. The QC and the 18 I like with a drop or two of water. Bottom line, I'll take any Laphroaig, anytime.

@Nock thanks Nock. I shall start with the standard 10 yo. Sounds like it may be more to my liking.

@talexander t, an explosion of peat and smoke sounds good to me. The standard 10 is up next for me. As far as the QC, I actually don't mind sweetness in my whisky, but this bottle of QC I have just seems over the top sweet. The sweetness just dominates. Looking forward to the standard 10 yo.

@two-bit-cowboy In Ontario, it's the 43% version - I don't think I've tried the 40% 10 Year Old.

@connoisseurs, not to diverge too far but since we are talking about Laphroaig. How do you feel about the differences between Laphroaig 10 vs 18?

Price? Smoke n peat? Salt?, Sweet? Smooth or burn?

I find that the 10 is saltier and smokier but not as smooth or sweet as the 18. The 18 is an excellent dram, it seems like I prefer the 10 though?

@Benancio I love them both - but yes it is pretty subjective. The 18 is a more elegant and sophisticated dram - but yes I personally give the edge to the 10!

I definetely prefer the Laphroaig 18 to all the others, but only after it has oxidised for a couple of months.

And then there was that Elements of Islay Lp1...so bright in flavour!

@Victor Ohhhh how could I forget the Lp1!!!

I would not go so far as to say that I'm disappointed from my bottle of Laphroaig QC, but I was certainly expecting more. I have to say that the sweetness is a little bit at odds with the peaty and smoky side of the malt. Maybe it lacks a little bit in balance? Although the standard 10yo is a "simpler" dram, and lower in AVB, I think I prefer it. As for the Laphroaig 18yo, I love it. At this age is difficult to find a malt that gives you more bang for your buck! From what I've read around, seems like an underrated malt....but I might be wrong.

This is just the sort of discussion i was looking for, I am close to taking the plunge on my first bottle of Laphroaig and was unsure of which one to try first. Here in Australia the 10 y.o, quarter cask and triple wood are my easiest options to find with not a great deal of price difference. Not sure on my choice yet, but thats for all the information provided!

For me it is hard to get around the perceived "value." When I lived in Nashville I could pick up the Laphroaig 10yo for $35 a bottle which was awesome. That is a fantastic value for a great whisky. At the same time the 18yo was well over $100. Nice whisky (better then the old 15yo) but not a $100 whisky in my opinion.

I'm sure if I lived near Victor and could pick up the 18 for only about $15 more then the 10yo I would appreciate it a whole lot more ;). The one night I sampled it from a friend's freshly opened bottle I remember liking it. (I was very unimpressed with the Tripple Wood.)

For my money the 10yo CS is the one I never want to be without.

@mosis522, I am with @Nock in thinking very highly of the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength. It is not far different from the 43% ABV 10 yo, just with more punch in its concentration of flavours. As a Big Flavours guy, I prefer that. If you try Triple Wood before 10, 10 CS, and 18, you still will not have sampled the basic Laphroaig 'house style'. Quarter Cask is in the house style, to the sweet side, but 10, 10 CS, and 18 are more typical of mainstream Laphroaig style.

@Victor I totally agree

Next Friday I'll be attending a Laphroaig tasting in Toronto which will include the 25 YO, which I've never tasted!

@drinix I second every word you wrote! Exactly the same feeling!

@teebone673 I would recommend the 10yo CS.

In any case, if you do not the sweeter side of the QC, I suggest that you avoid the new PX, as I found it weak and syrupy (and I find the QC OK).

I find the QC to be the best in the normal Laphroaig range...

@olivier thanks for the tip, Olivier. I look forward to trying the CS.

I'm confused by this review: scotchdrammer.com/2012/02/…. He's mentioning that the CS is smoother and QC peatier (not sweeter)...

Well, i have the following bottles at home: QC, PX Cask, Triple wood, Ten and 25yo and I must say that the Triple Wood is the best one. Its perfectly balanced and the sherry inluence gives way more complexity to the malt. The PX Cask is too deep in my opinion and the 25yo is far away from what I excpect from a Laphroaig. Thats what I think. The Laphroaig Ten is nice but with only 40% it doesnt make me happy

That is certainly a minority opinion on the Triple Wood @bennibarrel. Most favour the QC by quite a margin. I might give the Triple Wood a try if I see a few more positive reviews. Have you tried the 18? I like it a lot, but again, not everyone agrees. In the affordable range, the 10 Cask Strength, the 10 at 43% and the QC get the best reviews overall.