Laphroaig Triple Wood

Triple Wood is an extension of Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Like Quarter Cask, Triple Wood is matured for 5-11 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks (Maker's Mark?) and is then transferred to smaller American oak Quarter Casks for about 8 months. According to John Campbell, Triple Wood adds one year in first fill Oloroso sherry butts and two years in refill sherry butts. European oak is used for the sherry butts. So using my superior math skills, I can deduce that Triple Wood is a vatting of whiskies that are 8-14 years old, with most probably being 10-11 years old. That last part is just a guess.

Tasting Notes

• Nose (undiluted): deep earthy peat, campfire smoke, fruitiness (plums, apricots), nuttiness, and sweet vanilla sitting on top. There’s far less iodine (seaweed) and brine than you’d expect from Laphroaig but it’s there in the background. Terrific nose.
• Palate (undiluted): very rich arrival, it feels very creamy and rounded with no perceptible alcohol burn, surprisingly soft for 48% ABV, more fruity plums, raisins and figs with vanilla, brine, and peat smoke returning.
• Finish: very long, somewhat drying. Cigar ash giving way to vanilla, then a sweet meatiness; think smoked ribs with sweet barbecue sauce.

With water, the iodine rushes forward and imposes itself alongside a menthol note on the nose. Much less fruity flavour with water added as well; instead there’s more ashy peat, vanilla and brine. The meatiness is not quite as present with water added. I prefer this one neat, though it is still pleasant with water added. There was little to no alcohol burn, so I don’t feel water to be necessary. I'm not a fan of NAS labeling, but I am a fan of this whisky. I think I like it more than the standard (43%) 10 year old. The word rich comes to mind whenever I drink it.

First, i am a lover of scotch whisky (Isle of Islay), single malt. A few days back i bought a bottle of Triple Wood, and i liked it, very much so. But i was dumbstruck, maybe naive of me, but i was !! Just above the bar-code, in a different language than English, i think Danish, it is printed; coloring with caramel ??!! (and so taste). Why my reaction upon this one one may ask. Simple, it is the peat, water, wood, air,... wich gives the taste and color to a whisky, no? Why switch to additives? I understand the fact that 'wood finish' may raise some questions, but that someone can provide me with an answer that gives me clarity. Now, the Triple Wood gives me a total new experience in taste, aftertaste and aroma. One can taste the surroundings, the landscape, wood and a new identity of Islay. It makes me smile. It makes me share it whit friends, talk about it and widen my experience. I love it loud. But for a further experience i would like to know why? Is this done frequently? I am not being negative about a product of this quality and its richness, but i was surprised. Still bravo for your Triple Wood and thanks.

As much as I like to tear into all these NAS releases that are popping up these days, sometimes you do come across a good one. Here’s the Triple Wood, matured in bourbon, Oloroso, and those little quarter casks that Laphroaig is so fond of using.

Nose: As intense as the quarter cask. Big toffee, caramel, wet forest, pine, earth, peat, indistinct sherry. This is medicinal, and a beautiful sherry/peat marriage.

Palate: Strong, mouth-coating, drying oak envelopes everything. Pine, band-aids, sherry, candied fruits, peaches.

Finish: Candied sherry, peach, huge oak, faint pine, earth, with a plaster/medicinal tinge. Long, prickly and drying.

Thoughts: Laphroaig is typically about big peat. While this is no exception, it’s also about oak and sherry. It is as oaky as the QC, with a better integration of sherry than the 18. Time relaxes the oak and brings out some of the fruity subtleties. Afford it time and patience and you will find nuance and complexity here. It's balanced and powerful. Certainly one of the best of their NAS releases. Delicious.

It has been almost three years since I last tasted this one. That was reason enough for a reader of my blog to send me a sample with the instruction to write a proper tasting note. Your wish is my command. Take the Laffie Quarter Cask and give it a finish in an oloroso sherry butt and you get the Laffie Triple Wood. Easy as pie.

Wonderfully sweet nose with just a touch of wood. The peat is surprisingly soft, making this Laffie mostly sweet (for a Laffie). Apple, banana and a bit of coconut are joined by chamomile tea and some salted butter. Even a hint of white chocolate. The medicinal touch, rather typical for Laffie, is present as well of course.

It is nicely oily on the palate, almost silky soft. Immediately spices kick in as do charcoal and fruit. The spices translate into (mostly) vanilla, chamomile, ginger, camphor and a big dose of liquorice. The fruit evolves towards oranges. Potpourri. Woodsmoke. Boy, this is very good.

The long and smoky finish ends in a hint of coffee and quite a bit of ashes.

While I prefer the Quarter Cask, this is still one helluva whisky. Thanks to Patrick D for the sample.

I picked up some whiskies, over this last year, off an auction house, in Scotland. I'd wanted to purchase an auction house whisky for a while and when I managed to pick up a 30 year old cask strength Caol Ila for 60 pounds I was thrilled. That was a stupid price!

And then came the delivery charge.

80 pounds for a single bottle to be delivered.

Ouch!

So when I saw that if I picked up a few more bottles it'd be more economical to ship them. So I went a hunting.

And there I picked up a Bowmore Tempest batch 1 for 30 pounds and a bottle of Laphroaig Triple Wood for 20 pounds.

Some pretty decent prices, but by the time I picked up the next two bottles which raised my delivery fee to 100 pounds for the 3 bottles, well I already had my trip to Scotland planned and I reckoned that it'd just be easier to pick up the bottles in person.

Long day at work today, and so I figured that I'd open up my very first bottle of Laphroaig. Sometimes I feel like there are special moments in a whisky lovers life, moments where you pick up your first bottle of a distillery that you know well, everyone you know drinks, but yet you've never purchased.

Picking up Laphroaig Triple Wood was one of those moments in my life.

So with that thought reverberating around my head this evening, I cracked open the Laphroaig and settled down for a pleasant evening in Islay.

It's called Triple Wood as the whisky is aged in three different types of wood, the first being matured in ex bourbon casks and quarter casks and then finished in European sherry casks.

I hit here watching Justified (great TV series btw!) and the first thing to hit the nose is the smoke, peat and then sherry.

The nose isn't the heavy bonfire smoke that is typical of the 10 year old, but a softer, sweeter nose, mixed up with savory characteristics.

Peat, smoke, sherry, smoked bacon, vanilla, sultanas, apples, slowly the sweetness dissipates and then a thin tendril of wood smoke, like the dying embers of a campfire, swirls up.

Enjoyable nose, not incredibly complex, but still enjoyable.

The palate is smoky with iodine, vanilla, sultanas, some Christmas cake spices so hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, peat and sherry mixing together on the palate.

A mild enjoyable finish of cigarette ash, sultanasm and chocolate undertones finishes the dram off.

This is an interesting departure from your typical Laphroaig and is a nice little addition for those who enjoy their Islay whiskies.

Definitely worth a try, but nothing about it screams to me that I will always want a bottle in my cabinet. It runs around $110 to $120 AUS a bottle.

While I enjoy peat and smoke, when I had to compare Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 I went for the Ardbeg. However i decided to give Laphroaig's other expressions that have a higher proof a chance and I am impressed.

Nose: A tang of salt, seaweed, salted fish, vanilla, spice, peat, smoke that reminds me of a barbecue at the beach. Palate: Strong Maritime notes, vanilla, peat, salted fish, peat, smoke, dark fruits. Finish: Still has the maritime notes, but now with a spiciness that is impressive with a final hint of vanilla to round it out.

In conclusion, this dram is an acquired taste and if it is your cup of tea there is nothing better.

I bought this bottle of Triple Wood and opened on October 13th of 2011. I have tasted it, taking notes, on 11/11/11 (83), May of 2012 (84), and July of 2013 (83.5). Over two years now I have noticed very little change in this bottle. If anything it has slightly improved . . . but not in a way to boost my rating of the bottle.

Nose: Much sweeter then the 10yo – no surprise. Very subdued peat. Dark red fruits greet the nose and then there is this underlying power that is typical Laphroaig. A dark berry mix with a hint of coco. Strangely it reminds me of Ardmore or a peated BenRiach. There is that peat fire, but it is subdued behind the fruit. The fruit really seems to push everything down a notch or two. It is like someone took a huge mound of peat and shoved it down into a well where the sides are made of sherry soaked oak. There is that mossy earthiness that the 10yo has but it is really rounded and held at arm’s length. Oddly this give the nose a nice layered effect that seem to indicate complexity and age (but I’m not sure if either are there . . .) Now I am really getting that sweet candied fruit note (candied cherries?)

Taste: Sweet sherry hits the front with very rounded peat in the back all held together by oak. There are rounded fruits (an odd berry mixture and baked apples) along with charred drift wood and smoke with an odd slightly off note . . . only hints at it . . . now there is peat and fire on the back. Almost too little power at 48%.

Finish: Nice intake of breath followed by a gigantic wave of peat and the ocean. More of that medicinal thing I get from the 10yo, but kicked up a notch by the sherry influence. It is long and bracing . . . not bad for 48%! But far from my favorite Laphroaig finish. It is longer then the 10yo, but there is something slightly off about it . . . maybe not off; but something is fighting with the peat and typical Laphroaig dirty earth.

Complexity, Balance: More complex then the 10yo, but the least well balanced of the Laphroaig line. There is a constant battle in the nose, the taste, and the finish. At no point do I feel like a harmony was achieved between the peat and sherry. I am shocked this made it past duty free. I can only hope the QC version doesn’t make it out of duty free.

Aesthetic experience: Not a bad looking bottle. I enjoy the 48%, the crest of the Prince of Wales, and a proudly displayed “non-chill filtered” beneath a taste full “Triple Wood” label. I would be tempted again with the look and ABV. However, I doubt I would by a second bottle.

Conclusion: I am glad to have tried this bottle. I have just decanted it into a small 50mL sample bottle to save for a reference. If you love sherry and peat then this is a good bottle to try. However, I think it misses the mark as a Laphroaig. It basically takes what is great about the Laphroaig Quarter Cask and masks it with sherry. I think the result is a pleasant enough dram this is a bit confused and muted. I think Ardbeg’s strategy with Uigeadail is far more successful. That said, my "muted" might be subtle brilliance to you.

I have had a bottle of Laphroaig 30yo (which was matured in sherry casks). My opinion (only my opinion) is that Laphroaig doesn’t tend to work well with sherry. I have heard great things about a 27yo Laphroaig matured in sherry . . . but that sounds more like the exception then the rule. For me, next time I will skip the Triple wood and buy more 10yo Cask Strength batches or the Quarter Cask.

Laphroaig distillery (the name means "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay") was established in 1815, by Alex and Donald Johnston. It was sold to Long John International in the 1960ies and subsequently became part of Allied Domecq. Today the distillery is owned by the American spirits company Beam Inc. Triple Wood was originally released in 2008 as an exclusive expression for travel retail and due to its ongoing success was moved to the core range in 2011. It has enjoyed a triple maturation in three types of cask: the first maturation is in ex-Bourbon barrels, the second one in quarter casks, followed by the final maturation in Oloroso Sherry casks.

The nose is full and rich. There is soft smoke, vanilla and banana, followed by a touch of butter and milk.

The palate is full-bodied, mouth coating and a tad spicy. Rich smoke, vanilla and caramel take centre stage. Gets dry towards the end.

The finish is of medium length, spicy and warming. Oaky dryness and smoke last up to the very end.

I very much enjoyed this expression of Laphroaig. It is very well balanced and rounded, the soft smoke and the vanilla flavours going superbly well together. This probably is the most “yummy” Laphroaig that I have ever tasted, and indeed my bottle was gone in under two months!

The Triple Wood is a very decent dram courtesy of three maturations. First in ex-American Bourbon, then in a 19th Century style Quarter Cask before finishing up in an Oloroso Sherry cask.

The nose is a heady cloud of peaty chocolate syrup, minty nuts and the all too familiar sausage on grill. But what really sent me back years was the unmistakeable scent of black jambuline. And I have to be completely honest it was my brother who spotted it and I totally agree.

The palate continues along it's merry way of chocolate goodness sprinkled with wild red berries, black pepper and a tasty meat stew. Mull it over a bit longer and a small piece of damp cardboard finds it's way into the mix.

The clove and jambuline finish could have been much longer, though. But all in all this is an extremely competent single malt.

This is a lovely whisky...

Smokey,, very smokey but subtle sweetness in the end.

Literally it tasted like a fire was put out in my mouth. Like how a smoke forms when fire dies.. with sea salt, and seaweed notes all mixed in with the peat.

Amazing dram,, i dunno why this Triple Wood does not get as much attention as the 1/4 Cask or the Uigeadail by Ardbeg. Cuz honestly I prefer this to the Uige.

They had this bottle for $62 at my local shop, which made it even more lovely.

Color: Gold.

Nose: Right out of the bottle the peat hits you with a strong Stilton cheese-like aroma and the embers of a dying campfire, tempered with sweeter notes of sliced red grapes and night-blooming jasmine. Allowing it to sit for a few minutes airs out much of the sour peat "stink," leaving only a smoky, floral perfume. Water further opens up the sweetness, with strong barbecue notes and light vanilla.

Body: lightly textured but boisterous. This one announces itself with a POW!

Palate: Without water, bitter tobacco and charred, ashy wood, with notes of dark chocolate underneath. With just a little bit of water, it becomes a whole new whisky. Still quite smoky, but much sweeter, even lush and fruity.

Finish: long and powerful. Smoke and chocolate linger FOREVER. Perfection.

Of the 10, Quarter Cask, and Triple Wood, this, the latter, is easily my favorite Laphroaig. This is a complex whisky with two settings. Without water, this bottle will satisfy the dragon in you. Adding a little water offers a mellower, more multidimensional spirit. This is just a fantastic scotch and one everyone should try.

According to online sources, Laphroaig Triple Wood is essentially the Quarter Cask expression with some extra maturation in Oloroso sherry butts. I have no reason to doubt this information, but I taste more feisty youth fighting for attention here than in the QC. The Triple Wood was aged for five to ten years in ex-bourbon barrels courtesy of Maker’s Mark, transferred to quarter casks for nine months, then finished in the refill sherry butts for 21 – 24 months. In other words, it’s anywhere from eight to thirteen years old. My taste buds, as well as my skeptical nature, suggest it’s at the young end of that range.

Notes are based on a four-month-old bottle at about the halfway level. I’ve noticed some softening up of the whisky in that time. There’s less harshness and more soft creaminess now, even if it still tastes as if those Maker’s barrels were used at least once too often.

Nose: Surprisingly soft, yet pleasingly complex. Smells like a Laphroaig (medicinal, grassy, salty peat) with some added barbecue fire, lemon, vanilla, and canned fruit cocktail. Reminds me a bit of a good Ardbeg that’s been sitting in a Glencairn for 24 hours with a lid on it, but to which a little too much water has been added. It’s very nice, although not as aggressive at it wants to be.

Palate: I have a slight problem with the woody taste in many Laphroaigs (see my review of the 10 yo Cask Strength), as it tends to be too dominant and uncomplimentary to the surrounding flavors. The wood, unfortunately, is the one element that remains constant throughout the arrival, development, and finish. It also seems a tired wood, as if the natural tannins have been stripped away, with an end result not unlike taking a hearty, open-mouthed inhale in a century-old house.

On the upside, there’s some nice, mildly sweet peat on the tongue and in the finish, along with sherry, salty brine, vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon, and maybe a little tobacco. The finish also brings out some good peppery heat. The sherry butts save the day here. They helps tame the young-‘n’-rough stuff as they add some subdued sweetness.

In all, Laphroaig Triple Wood is one of the better examples of a modern concocted single malt. It’s young, and the tired bourbon casks are conspicuous, but the sherry-butt finish helps disguise many flaws. It should impress most whisky drinkers, especially Laphroaig lovers, but some sleight-of-hand is needed to pull off this trick.

I have had the pleasure of 10, 18, QC,CS,a couple of indy bottlings, and not one sub excellent whisky. Glad to see the the track record is not broken with their Triple Wood.

I have had the bottle open for about 3 months now, and it is sitting at about 1/4 full. Typical "What's burning?" aromas, with a most welcome subdued sweetness. Much more subdued than their Quarter Cask, and I think this is where the differences between the two, very similar whiskies lie. A nice sweet baby ray's BBQ sauce and sweet pickles rush goes down my spine.

Smooth, thick and tongue coating. There is a pleasant carmel aftertaste that lingers. Sweet and salty on the back of my tongue. Warm salted cashews.

I do not recall what I paid for this, but not much more than the Quarter Cask. I would be happy with either one. Would not hesitate to purchase again.

Admittedly this was the go-to scotch that pushed me over the edge and now nearly $2,000 poorer I have acquired a number of bottles of varying sorts often depending on the gentlemen who have blazed the path before me. I have typically found that when there are several review in the hi 80s and lo 90s, one can have pretty good confidence that they won’t be disappointed.

I will confirm that I don’t think you will be disappointed with this scotch BUT only on the condition that you drink it correctly – otherwise you will have simply another strong smokey Islay – albeit one with a lovely nose due to the sherry finish (I assume). And I, as seemingly others, find the smokey scotch intriguing but not necessarily ultimately desirable.

So what is it to “drink it correctly”?? I have taken to drinking my scotch in slowly my mouth formed as a straw and leaving it in the very front part of my mouth for sometime – slowly letting it move to the full first third of my tongue (or so – measurement precision not essential) and then finally after a tender affair, swallowing (no jokes at this point, please!). It is precisely this approach that has brought out so much of the sweet taste of scotch and corralled scotch as wild as A’bunadh and brought the meaning of Triple Wood to its full taste seemingly eliminating a significant amount of the smoky taste and enhancing the sherry taste including in the finish – which, while I appreciate some smokiness but not in the amount that is produced by a quick swig. I don’t understand why the taste would be so different with this approach BUT that has been my consistent experience.

The triplewood is part of our Laphroaig special tasting. Dominic's tasting notes: Nose: Creamy and light on peat, with Thai spices, some sherry feistiness and some spiky spices.

Palate: Beach barbecue, lemon drizzled on char-grilled fish, unexpected fruity warmth. Complex but balanced between the sherry fruitiness and the savoury peat. Subtle, challenging and absorbing.

Finish: Rich smoky and fruity, and goes on forever

most of us marginally prefered the quarter cask, its interesting to taste them off against eachother

Well, this is an odd one and no mistake! A Laphroaig which has shook hands with a sherry butt after spending time knocking round with our old friends the bourbon barrel and the wee one, the quarter cask.

I distrust my nose because it's telling me honey and almonds while my heid tells me it's meant to be an Islay knuckle-dragger, reeking of peat and delivering a snoot-full of phenols. Where's the tar, not to mention the liniment? This is a Laphroaig which has been tamed and forced into a dinner jacket for goodness sakes!

Sweeter than expected, with the 'medicinal' notes kept at bay by sugar. A spoonful of sugar indeed!

And yet, as you chew away at it the layers of praline give way to ... furniture polish? ... boiled sweeties? ... cloves?

Christ this is a puzzler: in place of a leisurely sit-down with a good dram, letting your mind wander this whisky keeps drawing attention to itself - "Concentrate!" it seems to be saying. "there's all sorts of things going on here", "Sit up straight".

Ok, focus: it's delicious but daft, potty and perplexing. It's actually making me want to revisit and re-evaluate some of those strange Glenmorangie experiments with different woods which I doubt was the maker's intention.

So, closer to a Macallan than an Ardbeg. Is it worth the money? An emphatic 'yes'; it's a damn fine whisky. Would I serve it to my friends? Not to all of them, just to the more adventurous of them. Will I buy another bottle? Probably not ... I'm a hedonist and I don't want my whisky to make me think too much.

And that's just what this one does, provoking and teasing, posing questions, delivering no easy answers. At least it's helped me decide: my next bottle of whisky for sharing's going to be Ardbeg ... or Glenmo ... or ... God help me.

Sweet candy-like nose, but otherwise very muted. Colour is bright sunlight with a medium body. Flavour is all iodine, tannin and peat.

Nose: Peat covered with sweeter sherry notes. Smoky stuff, like a barbecued steak in barbecue sauce in sweet marinade mixed with Teriyaki. The peat smoke is toned down by the sherry influence , which is not very surprising (see Lagavulin DE, Talisker DE). But the Laphraoig essence is definitely there. Medicinal notes are there. It’s a laphraoig after all.

Palate: Wood smoke, peat and vanilla. Ample body, and impact. sweeter and fruitier than the QC, but with a nice balance of sweet-peat. When you roll it in your mouth you get some big tannins and winey notes.

Finish : Long, smoke, ashtray, double espresso, chocolate, and some traces of fruit. Decent finish!

Bottom line:

This is a lovely expression, but i am not sure how i stand when comparing it to the ‘regular’ QC. On the one hand the sweeter tones, do add to the complexity and richness of the dram. On the other side, The sherry notes do ‘tone down’ the peat and it’s a bit muted and less biting than the regular QC. So, it’s a trade-off.

If i have to choose, i will name the QC as the winner here, it’s a better dram all in all. But, for those moments when you want a bit more than a peat profile, the TW is a good option. I do not plan to stock this one in my bar, but hey, i would very much like the odd dram here and there when visiting my mate Kfir. Whisky is best enjoyed with friends.