Laphroaig Quarter Cask

The reviewed bottle has been open for 17 months and is approximately 1/2 full

It is really nice that there is a precedent and TRADITION in Scotland of using these little barrels for whisky, for had there not been, then the Scotch Whisky Association would have banned this wonderful way to improve the product by giving the whisky more contact surface with the wood of the casks used for aging. Happily Laphroaig recognised the value of more wood contact for the maturing whisky, and, looking backwards and seeing a precedent that could be pointed to, made a whisky with more benefit of the wood than is usually afforded Scottish malts. The result:

Nose: usual Laphroaig briney, peaty, smoky, medicinal nose, with the smoke component greatly lessened after a month or two of the bottle opened. Sweet. This Quarter Cask is about the sweetest 'freshly opened bottle' Laphroaig you will find. Very nice indeed

Taste: the sweetness on the nose is even more accentuated on the palate. This is delightful whisky, which is why it has legions of fans...and the delight is primarily afforded by those wonderful sugars obtained from the increased wood exposure by using those little casks. All of the standard Laphroaig 'house style' flavours are there, in a mellow and rather sweet sort of way. No doubt the Quarter Cask expression also benefits powerfully by being served up at a goodly 48% ABV concentration, so that the goodness is not lost by cutting it with a lot of water. Delicious, and a real crowd pleaser, despite being, by the standards of some, quite "young". This is mature whisky, so, therefore, not "young", no matter what the number of years of Scottish aging

Finish: long and strong, with all the parts remaining flavourful

Balance: a well put together whisky, deserving of the positive regard in which it is held

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