Review #40 - Laphroaig Cairdeas Port & Wine Casks

Laphroaig Wine + Peat Mini-Series: Part 2 of 3

This 2020 Laphroaig annual special release takes the second spot in this little series - this is Cairdeas Port & Wine Casks, bottled at a solid 52% ABV. As opposed to the 10 year sherry oak finish we reviewed last week, which employs ex-Oloroso casks, this bottle uses the fortified Ruby Port wine, as well as some other undisclosed "wine" casks; still, we'll be looking for some of those sweet, fruity, even meaty flavors. The port cask especially can add a bit of a syrupy chocolate note at times.

There has been some discourse about the quality of the Cairdeas bottlings over the last several years - some will point to varying quality, while it can also be difficult to compare as each release has a unique mixture of age, cask type, and bottling strength. Still, this release has the 2nd highest rating of any Cairdeas release in the last 7 years, at least according to the average of 500+ reviews on Whiskybase (whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/176213/laphroaig-cairdeas), so we should be in for a treat.

Laphroaig Cairdeas Port & Wine Casks

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 130 (2021)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 150 (but not easy to find) (2023)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 52% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-port casks, finished in red wine casks

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 13 months; bottles at 100%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Starts with some of that classic Laphroaig peat: sea salt, iodine, smoke and ashy cigarettes, which begins to transition to cigar smoke later. There is some dirty funky earth in there too, some damp plants, hay, a bit musty, or even wet rotten wood. Then it's on to some fruity notes, citrus from lemons and orange, as well as juicy darker notes like strawberry and chocolate covered cherry. In terms of oak, this has a mild influence, but it does impart some spice notes of clove and cinnamon; last we have a mild meaty flavor, charred like burnt ends.

Palate: It's bold and rich, the peat is strong and full of iodine or medicinal sharpness. It's oily and warm, but not too hot - pretty balanced. Lots of warm mulled wine, orange zest, burnt orange peel, Christmas spices, and a bit of a cherry cola note as well; quite varied, but interestingly layered. Later we find prune juice, and more oak than before, though it isn't too dry, more charred, just generally tastes a bit burnt; there is warm cake and some salinity as well. At the end, there is a strong grilled jalapeno note, and the mouthfeel is a medium thickness.

Finish: Long finish, lots of oil, and the peat stays for a while, causing puckering in the cheeks - it's pretty strong. There is still some mild red fruit there, but this finish turns quickly to wood notes of charcoal, mild astringency, and bitter wood. At the end, it's more salty and ashy.

Final Note: Another good one - this actually earns the same average rating from us as the 10 year sherry oak finish. Because of that, the price-rating value isn't going to be quite as good, since this costs almost 2x as much as the other bottle nowadays; still, if the combination of peat and wine casks is your preferred style of Scotch, this may be worth seeking out for its unique twist on the formula, as it adds a few unique flavors, including some nice dry notes in the finish (a little surprising considering the Port maturation).

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: 6.23