Review #21 - Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength Batch 12

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Batches Mini-Series: Part 2 of 3

Here's our second entry: Batch 12 this time, which comes in at a slightly higher ABV of 60.1% (must have been some well-maintained casks). This bottling came roughly a year after the first, in early 2020, but employs that same Laphroaig spirit character along with the same aging regime.

Batch 11 had all of the distillery character we've come to expect, but was heavier into the wood smoke and some ex-bourbon characteristics of vanilla and oak, with a touch of sweetness. Is Batch 12 going to be the same, or will we see that cask individuality leading to more unusual notes here?

Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength Batch 12

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Current Locally Available Price: USD 100 (2023)

Age Statement: 10 Years

Strength: 60.1% ABV

Details: Batch 12, bottled in February 2020

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 2 months; bottles at 50% and 20% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Jumps out of the glass, strong peat and oils. Like sitting in a Scottish bog next to a campfire - there are slightly vegetal notes, damp moss and wood, quite smoky, even a bit of sweet barbecue. It's a bit salty, too, slightly medicinal (the classic 'Band-Aid' note), mildly sweet notes from lemon, and a little bit of straw or grass. As this opens up later, there is a hint of rotting wood, and the barbecue note grows stronger.

Palate: So much peat, it can be overwhelming; hot oil, a thick mouthfeel, iodine and lots of medicinal herbs. A very intense experience overall, but once you get past the tingling around the cheeks and tongue, a few more flavor notes creep out: a bit of acidity, some seaweed, more wood astringency than the nose, but still somewhat mild there. The citrus has changed to orange now, and along with spice like pepper and salt, there is ashy smoke and coal, also a bit of barbecue later.

Finish: The finish is long, a little bit hot but actually not too bad considering the strength. Some of that wood astringency grows stronger and lingers, peat is there all the time before finally waning, leaving room for yellow and orange citrus, oils and acidity, and more of those coastal notes: salt or sea water and seaweed. This is all finished off with black pepper and maybe the tiniest bit of red fruit.

Final Note: Another great entry - if you're a peathead, it's hard to deny the greatness of the experience that comes with a heavily peated cask strength malt, and this bottle is checking all of the boxes. This specific batch came with some heavier seaside and green boggy notes, as opposed to the classic ex-bourbon of Batch 11; both are very good, and a preference between the two may come down to personal tastes. That said, all of these differences are still somewhat subtle - the basic character of the spirit is still coming through as the dominant influence at all times.

Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 7.07