Small Barrels Don't Always Produce Lousy Whisky

[Smithford]

Case in point: Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

The story of this delicious whisky is well known. I've just read that Quarter Cask now accounts for 25% of all of Laphroaig's sales.

So here's my question: Where is Beam (now Suntory) getting all of those small barrels? Chuck has said in his blog that all of the major American distilleries are using standard 53 gallon barrels (apart from the Buffalo Trace experiment). Presumably Laphroaig would need a steady supply of small ex-bourbon barrels in order to keep up with demand. Surely none of the micros have enough volume to supply a brand the size of Laphroaig. On top of this, their sister distillery Ardmore also uses a quarter cask process. Are they just re-using them over and over again?

I'm not trying to start a conspiracy theory or anything like that. But I feel like I might not be understanding a key part of this story. Does anyone know?

[squire]

Once the barrels are used here they are dismantled for shipment (saves space) and reassembled by coopers in Scotland. It's easy enough to cut some down to a smaller size.

[DaveOfAtl]

Looks like they are made for Laphroaig at Speyside Cooperage. This website talks about a visit to Speyside Cooperage, where the quarter casks were being made. http://mixwithmike.tumblr.com/post/11608472602/the-purpose-for-our-visit-to-the-speyside

I don't think they are using small ex-bourbon barrels. I think they are aging it in regular size ex-bourbon barrels and then finishing in these quarter casks specially made for them that never held bourbon.

[DaveOfAtl]

Or, as Squire says, maybe Speyside Cooperage is cutting bourbon barrels down to the 40 gallon size.

[Smithford]

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought that possible. So they re-build them at 1/4 size. On the surface the process seems inefficient, but it also seems like it has worked for them.

[DaveOfAtl]

The Laphroaig website does note that using the small barrels is more expensive for them.

[squire]

It's both, aging in regular barrels and finishing in the quarter casks for seven months. Of course the quarter cask used is not 1/4 of the standard 53 gallon barrel, rather it's a quarter of a hogshead (145 gal capacity) which comes out to be about 36 gal. Cutting a 53 gal barrel down to 36 gal is not as difficult as it might seem.

Now lengthening a 36 to a 53 would prove problematic.

[zillah]

Whatever they are doing, they are doing a fantastic job!

[weller_tex]

This would be heresy in the bourbon part of the forum, I know, but IF you like peaty single malts then with the price of bourbon continually going up and a lot of ages going down then I would say that Laph QC is approaching the best quality and complexity to price ratio at around $50 +/ $10.

As zillah said.."Whatever they are doing, they are doing a fantastic job!"

I haven't had QC in a couple of years. Maybe time to lay off the bourbon for a while and get a bottle.

[garbanzobean]

Laphroaig QC is an outstanding dram. The peat blast is there, but the bottle I had really served as an exemplar of what people were talking about when they mentioned "briny" and "medicinal" in their tasting notes. I like my whisky tasty and educational.

[MtnDew]

How would you guys compare the QC to an Ardbeg Ugi? A few years back I tried both the QC and 10 year and hated both with the 10 year being especially vile. Since then my peat tolerance has gone up though I still tend to stick to light peat or old peat (think Oban 14, Talisker 25, JW Green Label) but we popped a bottle of Ardbeg Ugi the other night and I really enjoyed it! Now I do have moods where peat just sounds better, and that night was one of them, but this was a cask strength Ardbeg so I figure it has to be somewhat high on the scale. I looked through my bunker list and realized the only Laphroaigs I have on hand are an 18 and a 2013 Cairdeas, both of which I assume would taste far different than the QC.

So, thoughts on that comparison? Is it worth taking the plunge and grabbing one? I guess I could always make my wife drink it if I can't stand it, she is the Octomore lover in the house...

[zillah]

I think the Oog is better. However, Oog is quite different. It is matured with sherry casks. (similar to Lagavulin) If you want to try a similar Laphroaig, check out the PX or the Triple Wood. I don't think any of those come close to the Oog, so there is that.

If you have warmed up to peat lately, I think you will like the QC. It is much sweeter and less abrasive than the 10. Definitely the more approachable Laphroaig of the lineup.

[wadewood]

Case in point: Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

This is lousy whiskey; of course I feel that way about any peat bomb.

[WhiskyRI]

I'm a huge fan of the Quarter Cask Laphroaig - great price - sometimes it can be found on sale for $45 - when I see that I buy 3 bottles. I do think it is interesting to the flavor change that the time in the quarter cask brings - it isn't that much smaller than a regular barrel but it definitely bends the flavor curve.