Laphroaig 10 Year Old calls for a cheers, so as the Scottish would say, slàinte!
The traditional Islay whisky is a perfect example of the classic peated single malt whisky, and it’s the result of over 200 years of work by Laphroaig’s master distillers. But it’s more than that, capturing the essence of the flavours associated with Scotland’s Islay, in the Inner Hebrides islands.
To capture the flavours of the region, the whisky starts with malted barley smoked over peat fires. The barley is then mashed, fermented, and distilled before it’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 10 years. Over those years the whisky ages and matures, taking on flavours from the barrels, before it becomes the boldly smoky and lightly sweet single malt whisky that whisky lovers adore.
I love how the smokiness of the whisky delivers on the nose and on the palate, with a really well rounded blend of complex flavours, seaweed, faint sweetness, and a finish that is all Islay and peat. The whisky is fantastic neat, but a drop of water opens up the sweetness and those complex flavours.
Laphroaig 10 Year Old retails for $99.95 at the LCBO in Ontario.
All photos by W. Andrew Powell/The GATE.
