bdrinker Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 My first pour ever of this was unlike any other whisky I've had. I've had Talisker 10 before, which was easier to drink, and mellower on the peat. But this..... :hot::bigeyes: is totally different. The peat was overwhelming, and I could barely finish my glass. Does this get easier to drink and like on future pours? please say yes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 My first pour ever of this was unlike any other whisky I've had. I've had Talisker 10 before, which was easier to drink, and mellower on the peat. But this..... :hot::bigeyes: is totally different. The peat was overwhelming, and I could barely finish my glass. Does this get easier to drink and like on future pours? please say yes....Happily: NO! It is what it is. I don't reach for it often; but I have a Cask Strength bottle that comes down off the shelf every couple months, and it is undeniably strong in the smokey/peaty department.A great sipper; but only as a 'last pour' for the day, because it'll kill anything that follows it like an Armadillo standing on a dark Texas highway. HA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwin Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 You either love it, hate it or it's an acquired taste. I eventually learned to enjoy the peat, but it's not an everyday dram. Talisker is a more gentle option and very tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawatt Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Yes, if you like Talisker you can probably grow to like Laphroaig. I couldn't stand Lagavulin the first time I tried it. Talisker was actually the gateway malt which allowed me to appreciate the peatier Islays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdrinker Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 I agree that so far the Talisker 10 is gentler in terms of peat, and more approachable, and at a higher 45.8% abv. I've also had Caol ila 12, and found it even gentler than Talisker.How about Ardbeg 10 and lag 16? are they as intense as laphroaig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawatt Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 In short, yes. But I find them more medicinal/antiseptic tasting, whereas Laphroaig is more ashen, like a cold fireplace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebo Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I've heard Laphroaig described as liquid band aids...lol. I think Ardbeg and Lagavulin are both easier on the peat and sweeter tasting. I love all the Islay offerings, but I love the peat, so............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 It generally is less in your face as it gets older although it will never quite be the same as Talisker. Of course it also gets substantially more expensive.But most people drink it BECAUSE it is in your face with peat and smoke and liquid band aids and iodine. Rather like licking an old hospital floor! And yes, unfortunately I can say that with a bit of personal experience... :bigeyes:(OK, maybe not quite licking it but I have been up close and personal with a few hospital floors in my time!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 The old style Laphroaig has some tropical fruit notes that are just fantastic.This year's new releases like the Cairdeas and 15yr have restored my faith after a couple of lackluster years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarkle Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Open the bottle, have a few drinks, and set it to the back of your cabinet and come back to it next year. The peat actually does mellow out inside an open bottle after some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auracom Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 You either love it, hate it or it's an acquired taste.Of all things that can be experienced in whisk(e)y, I am most thankful for my instant connection with peat. I've had no troubles getting through a Laphroaig, but I agree that it's probably the harshest for most people because of the ash and charcoal element. I find Ardbeg to be more iodine and brinier. Lagavulin is king for me, exhibits the best balance and a tropical fruit similar to Chainwhip's comments on older Laphroaig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasking Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I'm surprised to hear you guys talking bout Talisker as a gateway peated whiskey, because I find any of the Islays (including Laphroaig) to be easier drinkers than Talisker. Maybe I'm just immune to its certain special something.My favorite peated malt is Lagavulin, and I'm also fond of Ardbeg, but Laphroaig is my contender for the most distinctive single malt there is. It's instantly identifiable and nothing else tastes like it. I like it. And, I will always have a fond spot in my heart for Laphroaig because my wife and I went to Islay on our honeymoon, and if you join the Laphroaig fan club or whatever it's called, you actually get "title" to a square foot of Scotland out in the bog where they cut their peat, and if you go to the distillery, once a year they will give you a mini of their ten-year-old as "rent". I fondly recall sharing the "rent" later on our trip at a B&B near Loch Lomond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdrinker Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 This is my second pour of Laphroaig from this bottle, and I'm happy to say that I found it much less offensive this time. I guess I'm acquiring a taste for the peat. Other than the peat and accompanying sweetness and some spice, this isn't too complex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JvW Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 First time I smelled Laphroaig I thought it was battery acid; good thing that my brother loves the stuff and I know what to pour him when he visits... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Savage Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I just might pick up a bottle of this. It intrigues me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weller_tex Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 If you are getting used to the 10 year, then move on to the Cask Strength next. There you will start to see more complexity. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is actually my favorite... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hop Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I agree with the OP that the first taste of Laphroaig can be a bit overwhelming but for me it is a great whisky, my bottle is the 18yr and when I first tried it I was smoking a cigar at the time and it was definitely too much. The smoky flavor along with the cigar just overpowered me so I left the cigar alone and focused on the scotch. I'm nursing that bottle along and savoring it to make it last Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwin Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 (edited) Here is a video from Laphroaig Edited February 13, 2016 by Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebo Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 That was great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Laphroiag was the first scotch I truly enjoyed - I was never really interested in scotch (and had only had Dewars & JW Red I think), and it was so unlike anything I had ever tasted. My wife asked me what it tasted like, and the images were peat, dirty, band-aids, sea-air, smoke . . . which if I'd read those in a review first, I never would have bothered trying it LOL The cask strength is my favorite from what I've tried. I can't say it gets "easier to drink", but agree that I'd set it back (not like it will go bad) and revisit it after a bit. May find it isn't your thing, or may find that your tastes change over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwin Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Is the cask strength much different from the 10 yo? I find the 10 to be rather simple and it seems to keep being pushed to the back of the cabinet. Then I went and picked up a couple more while it was on sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spade Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 10 hours ago, Darwin said: Is the cask strength much different from the 10 yo? I find the 10 to be rather simple and it seems to keep being pushed to the back of the cabinet. I'd say it's different, if not dramatically so. In particular, I think the "sea-air" quality is amped up as is the fruitiness from the malt. To me, those additional notes make it a more complex pour than the regular 10 year. I love both, but prefer the cask strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdrinker Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 The peat has mellowed a bit since I opened the bottle back in November. I have grown to like it, but I don't drink it every day. It's good for certain moods, and cold weather. I recently had a glass of jw red label, which I hadn't had for a while, and I tasted some peat in it which reminded me of Laphroaig. I wonder if it has some Laphroaig in it. Anyway, since I opened my bottle of Laphroaig 10, I've gained a general appreciation for peat. I like it, and I notice it in different whiskies. It certainly adds complexity and flavor to a whisky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 11 hours ago, bdrinker said: The peat has mellowed a bit since I opened the bottle back in November. I have grown to like it, but I don't drink it every day. It's good for certain moods, and cold weather. I recently had a glass of jw red label, which I hadn't had for a while, and I tasted some peat in it which reminded me of Laphroaig. I wonder if it has some Laphroaig in it. Anyway, since I opened my bottle of Laphroaig 10, I've gained a general appreciation for peat. I like it, and I notice it in different whiskies. It certainly adds complexity and flavor to a whisky. Seems unlikely. Since JW is a Diageo brand it probably gets its peat from another Diageo owned distillery. On Islay that would be Lagavulin or Caol Ila. Or possibly both given that Red Label is reported to use over 30 different brands of whiskey to include malt and grain of various (likely mostly relatively young) ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdrinker Posted February 16, 2016 Author Share Posted February 16, 2016 41 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said: Seems unlikely. Since JW is a Diageo brand it probably gets its peat from another Diageo owned distillery. On Islay that would be Lagavulin or Caol Ila. Or possibly both given that Red Label is reported to use over 30 different brands of whiskey to include malt and grain of various (likely mostly relatively young) ages. True. Could even be Talisker, which Diageo owns, and I know is used in jw black label. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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