Laphroaig 1977 / 1995 43% vs Laphroaig 12 yo 1984 / 1996 Cadenhead 60.3%
Laphroaig 1977 / 1995 43%
Peak Laphroaig? An absolute fruit driven glory. The bulky bass of medicinal camphor, soot, engine oil are clearly evident and the coast does batter the phenols insistently, but the fruit is the wind in her sails. Washed up seaweed baking in the sun, smoke stained skies and plenty of deep earthy and grime to anchor in. Tea chests, incense, sea mud and salty nets. Subtlety and muscularity in turns. An ode to joy. 93 pts
Laphroaig 12 yo 1984 / 1996 Cadenhead 60.3%
What difference has 7 years brought. A literal sea change. Chuck out everything subtle and most of the fruit too but this here is all about the sea in its elemental, surging power. An immense brine driven beast flanked by unassailable cliffs of razor minerals and lemon tinged acid. Don’t leave shore without your spearmint and eucalyptus lozenges, and bring more than enough coal to keep that boiler at maximum. Austere but exponentially phenolic, laced here and there with gentian and seared herbs. Perhaps too simple or too harsh for some but its my cup of tea. 91 pts
Whiskyrific RSS
- Highland Park 25 yo 1990 / 2015 Cadenhead 50.6% vs Glen Moray 30 yo 1991 / 2022 Hidden Spirits #GLM9122 50.1%
- Highland Park 30 yo 1987 2017 Mackillop’s #1532 46.3% vs Bowmore 17 yo 2004 / 2021 SMWS 3.327 Siren’s Song 57.1%
- Glen Ord 28 yo 1992 / 2020 SMWS 77.65 49.3% vs Caol Ila 27 yo 1983 / 2010 Spirit of Caledonia 51.5%
- Craigellachie 20 yo 1972 / 1992 Cadenhead 53.3% vs Craigellachie 22 yo 1973 / 1995 Rare Malts 60.2%
- TTomatin 40 yo 1962 / 2002 Douglas Laing 44% vs Tomatin 19 yo 1976 / 1996 Cadenhead 55.9%
- Benrinnes 20 yo 1995 / 2018 La Maison du Whisky #6093 49.4% vs Benrinnes 20 yo 1997 / 2017 Cadenhead for Shinanoya #912 57.4%
- Ireland 27 yo 1988 / 2015 Nectar of the Daily Drams for La Maison 49.5% vs Secret Highlands 24 yo 1996 / 2020 Batch no.7 Finest Whisky Berlin 54.8%
- Single Malt Irish Whiskey 30 yo 1989 / 2019 The Whisky Cask Company #16044/16258 48.1% vs Single Malt Irish Whiskey 24 yo 1991 / 2016 The Whisky Cask Company #6847 55.8%
- Teaninich 12 yo 2007 / 2019 Single Malts of Scotland #301262 57.5% vs Secret Orkney 15 yo 2005 / 2021 Cooper’s Choice #121 56%
- Bunnahabhain 30 1989 / 2020 “Kinship” Hunter Laing 45.5% vs Laphroaig 24 1990 / 2014 Hunter Laing #HL14111 51.9%
whiskyrific 