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| I had two winters to take a picture of my damn bottle but apparently I was too dippy to do so. |
Distillery: Laphroaig
Age: minimum 10 years
Batch: 005, Feb 2013
Batch: 005, Feb 2013
Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably not
Caramel colored? Probably not
Alcohol by Volume: 57.2%
This time, inspired by Chemistry of the Cocktail, I added to water in different amounts in order to reduce the ABV and compare each version with the other. The tasting glasses were lined up as such:
#1 - 1.0oz + no water = 57.2%abv
#2 - 0.5oz + 1/2 tsp water = 49%abv (between 50% and the 48% of their Quarter Cask)
#3 - 0.5oz + 1 tsp water = 43%abv
#4 - 0.5oz + 1-1/4 tsp water = 40%
#1, Full strength
Nose - Lots of American oak: pulp, char, and sap. Sugary malt meets a peat that is almost floral. No grunge, no medicine, no maritime. Some green herbal stuff, caramel, roasted nuts, and oats.
Palate - Dirtier here (thankfully). Still, there's lots of vanilla and sugar. A tiny bit of bitter herbs is overwhelmed by the sweetness. Some salt and lemon peel sneak in, and a cassia cinnamon note that grows with time.
Finish - Medium length. Big on the vanilla, caramel, and sugar. Mild on the bitter and smoke. Afrin nasal spray. A green peat note develops but that's also smothered by the sweetness.
Comments - I'm getting tired of it in this state. While the oak isn't as odd as I'd remembered it, it is incredibly heavy. And that hurts the Laphroaig style.
#2, Reduced to 49%abv
Nose - Less oak, more green herbs, more peat moss, and a bit wilder overall. More earth, slightly inky. Ground cardamom and burnt oregano. Subtler vanillin and floral notes.
Palate - A creamier, oilier texture. A nice bitterness. Peat! Salt, anise, and manure. It's like a high-strength Underberg.
Finish - Medium length. Big peaty phenols stomp down the sweetness. Bitter and spicy. Tart lime candy and hay.
Comments - This bitter, spicy, herbal style is my favorite of the four. Reducing the sweetness is the key. Man, do I want me some Underberg right now.
#3, Reduced to 43%abv
Nose - A buttery, vanilla-y version of the regular official 10 year old. There's the seaweed and moss. Salty air, manure, bitter lettuces, and cardamom.
Palate - Texture is still good. The bitterness lightens up. A little more sweetness arrives, as does caramel. Some lemons and limes. A farmy note appears after a while.
Finish - Salty, citric, and spicy. Mild peat. Both sweetness and bitterness build with time (that note sounds like some cheap poetry's about to break out).
Comments - Not bad, though it's lighter, of course. Comma, comma, comma. I might like this better than the full strength version, too.
#4, Reduced to 40%abv
Nose - The peat begins to fade now. The sugar returns. Odd gooey oak note develops. Moss on a log. Grass and bitter lettuce. A random Nutella note.
Palate - Watery, thin. Mostly neutered. Hints of peat and bitter stuff. Sugar and lime register strongest. Maybe some fresh grass?
Finish - Short. Lemony, slightly peppery. Peat lingers a little.
Comments - The gap between the 43% and the 40% is incredible. The palate and the finish are broken, gone. It's Laphroaig to ignore.
While it's not terrible at full strength, the Laphroaig style is barely there. It's masked by oak and a significant sweetness that I've never found in a 'Phroaig. But, when reduced to the 48-50%abv range, the whisky's wildcat heart is uncaged (more cheap poetry for yous!). In fact, I re-bottled the final quarter of this bottle at that strength and enjoyed it thusly.
Overall, I still think this was the strangest and weakest of Laphroaig's 10yo CSes by some measure. The joy of their Cask Strength releases is/was the full powered dosage of Laphroaig's unique style. Batch 005 covers up that style with too much sweetness and oak, though the charms can still be found when adding a little water.
Availability - I'm still seeing this batch everywhere
This time, inspired by Chemistry of the Cocktail, I added to water in different amounts in order to reduce the ABV and compare each version with the other. The tasting glasses were lined up as such:
#1 - 1.0oz + no water = 57.2%abv
#2 - 0.5oz + 1/2 tsp water = 49%abv (between 50% and the 48% of their Quarter Cask)
#3 - 0.5oz + 1 tsp water = 43%abv
#4 - 0.5oz + 1-1/4 tsp water = 40%
 |
| Again, for some reason I didn't any pictures of the comparison. Here's a picture of breakfast, instead. |
Nose - Lots of American oak: pulp, char, and sap. Sugary malt meets a peat that is almost floral. No grunge, no medicine, no maritime. Some green herbal stuff, caramel, roasted nuts, and oats.
Palate - Dirtier here (thankfully). Still, there's lots of vanilla and sugar. A tiny bit of bitter herbs is overwhelmed by the sweetness. Some salt and lemon peel sneak in, and a cassia cinnamon note that grows with time.
Finish - Medium length. Big on the vanilla, caramel, and sugar. Mild on the bitter and smoke. Afrin nasal spray. A green peat note develops but that's also smothered by the sweetness.
Comments - I'm getting tired of it in this state. While the oak isn't as odd as I'd remembered it, it is incredibly heavy. And that hurts the Laphroaig style.
#2, Reduced to 49%abv
Nose - Less oak, more green herbs, more peat moss, and a bit wilder overall. More earth, slightly inky. Ground cardamom and burnt oregano. Subtler vanillin and floral notes.
Palate - A creamier, oilier texture. A nice bitterness. Peat! Salt, anise, and manure. It's like a high-strength Underberg.
Finish - Medium length. Big peaty phenols stomp down the sweetness. Bitter and spicy. Tart lime candy and hay.
Comments - This bitter, spicy, herbal style is my favorite of the four. Reducing the sweetness is the key. Man, do I want me some Underberg right now.
#3, Reduced to 43%abv
Nose - A buttery, vanilla-y version of the regular official 10 year old. There's the seaweed and moss. Salty air, manure, bitter lettuces, and cardamom.
Palate - Texture is still good. The bitterness lightens up. A little more sweetness arrives, as does caramel. Some lemons and limes. A farmy note appears after a while.
Finish - Salty, citric, and spicy. Mild peat. Both sweetness and bitterness build with time (that note sounds like some cheap poetry's about to break out).
Comments - Not bad, though it's lighter, of course. Comma, comma, comma. I might like this better than the full strength version, too.
#4, Reduced to 40%abv
Nose - The peat begins to fade now. The sugar returns. Odd gooey oak note develops. Moss on a log. Grass and bitter lettuce. A random Nutella note.
Palate - Watery, thin. Mostly neutered. Hints of peat and bitter stuff. Sugar and lime register strongest. Maybe some fresh grass?
Finish - Short. Lemony, slightly peppery. Peat lingers a little.
Comments - The gap between the 43% and the 40% is incredible. The palate and the finish are broken, gone. It's Laphroaig to ignore.
While it's not terrible at full strength, the Laphroaig style is barely there. It's masked by oak and a significant sweetness that I've never found in a 'Phroaig. But, when reduced to the 48-50%abv range, the whisky's wildcat heart is uncaged (more cheap poetry for yous!). In fact, I re-bottled the final quarter of this bottle at that strength and enjoyed it thusly.
Overall, I still think this was the strangest and weakest of Laphroaig's 10yo CSes by some measure. The joy of their Cask Strength releases is/was the full powered dosage of Laphroaig's unique style. Batch 005 covers up that style with too much sweetness and oak, though the charms can still be found when adding a little water.
Availability - I'm still seeing this batch everywhere
Pricing - a broad range that depends on the state you're in: $55-$85
Rating - 85 (with water added only; served neat this barely makes an 80)
