Laphroaig 1979 / 1997 Blackadder #5962 43%

Laphroaig 1979 / 1997 Blackadder #5962 43%

A bit of an open secret but some of these late 70s Laphroaigs could be gorgeous. Zing! Absolutely. At opening, the sting of sea salt, spritz of lemon oil a, a bit of greasy BBQ smoke and under that an undercurrent of fruity oranges and ambers. Then wet earth, mulch and burning compost. Doesn’t quite pan out the way I hoped on the tongue though, that is to say the fruit never quite emerges but is instead swallowed up by hot ash and eye watering smoke, medicinal powders of the bitter and green leafy sort, searing metal grills, charred meat, all doused in quite a volume of saltwater. Nevertheless an inherent fruitiness is held in and it is only towards the finish that these luscious oranges and red ambers spill out. 90 pts