Review #445 - Laphroaig Elements L1.0

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

In 2023, Laphroaig started a new series of experimental whiskies, a range which they've named 'Elements.' The first release, bottled in March of 2023, revolves around changes to the mashing and fermentation processes, along with the type of wort that is produced by those processes.

The distillery generally employs 5.5 ton mashes for their production, but they added some larger mashes for this release: 8.5 tons, a reference to older Laphroaig production methods, from before the 1990s. After mashing, Laphroaig is traditionally a semi-cloudy wort, meaning there are some solids suspended in the liquid as it moves to fermentation; generally, these additional solid particles can add heavier flavors and texture.

For Elements L1.0, in addition to the semi-cloudy wort, Laphroaig also created fully-cloudy wort - they hoped this would add stronger phenolic notes and more weight to the spirit. Fermentation time for this batch was 55 hours - that's on the lower end of what the distillery uses, as recent expansions on their premises have been aimed at increasing fermentation time.

After maturation, which took place entirely in ex-bourbon barrels, this first edition of their Elements series was bottled at a hefty 58.6% ABV, and here in the USA, it has a hefty price tag to match: $165.

Laphroaig Elements L1.0

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 165 (2024)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 58.6% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks

Details: Bottled 2023

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times (once blind) over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Interesting - this pulls us in a few different directions. There's an herbal, peppery side, augmented by hot peppers, garlic cloves, and vegetal scents; smokiness is relatively strong, a mix of peat, wood smoke, and cigarettes; fizzy citrus adds a mild fruit dimension. It's musty, and we found subtle accents of salted almonds and umami mushrooms.

Palate: The mouthfeel is thick - strong peat, black pepper, and hot peppers stand out at the start. Ashy, woody, and mildly medicinal; the texture is oily, and the flavors are punchy. Complexity is moderate now - cinnamon, earth, and sweet and sour limes show up.

Finish: Oily texture and sea salt - this is showing us that coastal character. Peat is still strong, making this a medium-long finish; sweet lemon oil, savory pepper, vanilla, fresh bread, and margaritas all battle for prominence. Actually, there's great complexity in this finish - at times, we also found ash, iodine, and agave.

Final Note: This is a good Laphroaig - we're not sure if the cloudy wort made a huge impact on the flavor profile, as any cask strength whisky from the distillery already tends to have some hefty flavors, but we did note that this version was nice and oily. There were some intricacies in the nose and finish, but the palate was a bit more simple; a mixed bag overall, but we would be happy to drink this.

Onto value - Laphroaig is no stranger to charging high prices, especially on products that are more limited in production numbers. Age isn't everything, but $150 to $175 for a non-age stated single malt feels a bit salty, especially if there isn't a specific reason in the production that would justify such a large increase in price. Value, then, is a little bit below average.

Our Average Rating: 7.6 / 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: 5.53

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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