Review #41 - Laphroaig Lore

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

The third entry in the series - we're finishing up with Laphroaig Lore. A non-age stated release, this one is supposedly a mixture of several ages and cask types: from 7 to 21 years old, and including barrels, butts, and quarter casks, as well as ex-bourbon and ex-sherry styles of cask preparation. Quite a lot going on there, so this should at least be interesting; whether or not it will be cohesive, that's another question altogether.

From our reading of other reviews online, this bottle is pretty hyped up - will it live up to expectations?

Laphroaig Lore

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 135 (2022)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 135 (2023)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 48% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon, quarter casks, Oloroso butts, others

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 months; bottles at 90%, 70%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Some stronger oak and charcoal, along with tar, rubber, and asphalt. Still, it's got a good sharp peat note as well, and already we get notes from the various cask types: it's slightly earthy, and then seaside notes of salinity, iodine, seaweed, and toasted kelp creep in. Lots of wood smoke, and that oak we mentioned is relatively dry, sometimes ashy. From the ex-bourbon casks, we're finding some icing sugar and hard butterscotch; next, it's into the fruit realm, with jammy raspberry and glazed strawberry, maybe a touch of prune as well. Citrus from oversweet lemon, and the more it opens up, the stronger an orange flavor gets, like sparkling orange soda. There is just a hint of a savory note, but it's hidden.

Palate: Pretty solid earthy peat note now, but far from the peatiest Laphroaig we've had; now that tiny savory note at the end of the nose has blossomed, lots of barbecue, charcoal, blood orange, and smoked orange rind. A bit like an extinguished campfire, and that smoke feels a little brittle (what does that even mean? Not sure, but it feels that way) and ashy. Sherry fruits of red and juicy purple fruit, sharper notes of tart lemon, and maybe some cinnamon from European oak; the mouthfeel can be just slightly syrupy, but overall it's a medium feeling, and at times can feel slightly watery. There is this medicinal chemical note in here - it's not acetone, not iodine, but something else; a little hard to place. At the end of the palate, we have some vanilla, and just a hint of chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Finish: Medium-long finish length, and while the peat is lingering all the while, it's never particularly harsh, but leaves a nice warming feeling. There is still some of that charcoal or extinguished campfire taste, but now a big orange flavor takes center stage, backed up by its citrus cousin lemon (tart lemon, maybe in the form of a preserve). A few dirtier flavors at the end: salt and earth, some grass or hay, a bit of wet oak; ends with just a bit of butterscotch.

Final Note: Let's just get this out of the way - we overpaid for this bottle. Yes, prices are rising all over the place, but this was a painful pill to swallow. Still, we had heard so many great things about this whisky - why not splurge once in a while? Overall, this malt is a little more refined and reserved than most Laphroaig bottlings, more 'rounded' as opposed to brash, and there is definitely more layered complexity than most from this distillery. Some will enjoy that, and while we can respect it, it isn't the reason we turn to Laphroaig. A good whisky, but not likely to be re-bought at these prices.

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: 6.24