The Barrel

This barrel wasn't supposed to be that relevant. I ordered this inscription two-and-a-half years ago, inspired by Woody Guthrie's guitar message, which he'd crafted after he wrote "Talking Hitler's Head Off Blues". Guthrie opposed all forms of fascism, and in my naïveté I had thought the majority of Americans did too, or at least had once done so. But perhaps we've only opposed other countries' fascism while accepting our own. Or maybe we thought things were okay as long as it wasn't present in our neighborhoods, but that it was necessary to impose anti-liberalism on other people's neighborhoods. I cannot follow that logic, as it seems antithetical to our constitution and any dream to fulfill the promise of a healthy republic. One would think this is something our country needs to figure out without further delay.

This barrel is not an "antifa" barrel. And if you regularly use the word "antifa", may I encourage you to add some variety to your news sources. In truth, the above description could have been "This Machine Kills Fascists, Communists, Nihilists and Know-Nothings" but there wasn't enough room on the barrel head.

Here's the reverse side:

On Wednesday, the experiment. On Friday, the tasting!

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2018 Fino Cask Finish

No rant today, just a list of the past eight Laphroaig Càirdeas releases and their ratings, because assigning a number grade to a liquid totally makes sense.

2012 Origin - 88 points

2013 Port Wood finish - 89 points (though I scored it 87 in my review)

2014 Amontillado cask finish - 86 points

2015 200th Anniversary - 91 points (though I scored it 90 in my review)

2016 Madeira cask finish - 84 points

2017 Quarter Cask, cask strength - 82 points

2018 Fino cask finish

2019 Triple Wood, cask strength - 89 points

Are the Càirdeai better than Laphroaig's standard range or are they just fun novelties? Yes. As novelties, they top Ardbeg's annual slog, partially because Càirdeas avoids the dopey marketing, partially because they're better thought out, and partially because they taste better. And, yeah, the Càirdeas experiments often result in better whiskies than Laphroaig usually offers. This streak may be ending or pausing this year, but that was yesterday's rant.

I tried the 2016 and 2018 side-by-side this weekend. You may find the 2016's results somewhere in yesterday's post. 😙 Here are my deep feelings about the 2018.

Distillery: Laphroaig

Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Age: ???, though probably less than 10 years
Maturation: bourbon casks first, then a fino-seasoned-hogshead finish

Batch: 2018
Alcohol by Volume: 51.8%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The deeply earthy nose is anchored by lovely nutty notes — think almond extract, walnuts and black walnuts — followed by layers of charred fennel-laden sausage, dried apricots, moss and mango. The flamboyance-free palate leads with umami and nuts (mostly roasted almonds but also a hint of those black walnuts). Bits of roots, dried leaves and fresh oregano in the background. Leafy, earthy peat makes up much of the finish, along with smaller savory, salt, limes and plastic notes.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose holds almond extract, dried apricots, salty peat and soot. Though mostly herbal and mineral, the palate gains dimension with umami, lime juice and salty peat. The finish matches the palate, then adds Cracker Jack.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The great fino casks help deliver one of the best Càirdeas noses yet. Meanwhile, the whisky has possibly the most reserved palate of the above-mentioned eight bottlings. A bit of water stirs it up a little, though it's nice to have a peated whisky that doesn't scream in one's face. On the whole it's much better than I'd expected, something I'd considering buying a whole bottle of and in the running for the second best Càirdeas I've had. Probably the antithesis of the 2019 and 2020 Càirdeai.

Availability - Still around, here and there
Pricing - $75-$175
Rating - 89

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2016 Madeira Cask Finish and another Laphroaig rant

Word is out about this year's Càirdeas release, and it'll be the first edition I'll avoid happily. I don't know if they're trying to imitate Bill Lumsden by way of Jim McEwan, but did anyone really ask for a Port and Wine cask Laphroaig? One must abandon any hope-filled illusion that Laphroaig is above these things, because they're actually all about taking the consumer as far away from the Laphroaig spirit as possible. Brodir, Select, Triple Wood, Four Wood, QA Cask, PX Cask all make the Quarter Cask expression look naked by comparison. I'm not sure if this calls for a shruggie or the guy-saying-WTF meme. But it seems permanent.

I've enjoyed the annual Càirdeases (Càirdeai?) because they're each one-time attempts to see "What would happen if?", and then the distillery moves on. Sometimes it's bloody brilliant, like the 2015 (eleven years old, floor malting, small still, bourbon cask only). Sometimes it seems like way too much, see the 2019 cask strength Triple Wood. They don't always work, but each release is the result of a single structured idea.

The 2020 comes across as a mushing together of dissimilar things because...

A.) ...the 2013 Port Wood shouldn't have worked but did and now we have no other ideas so let's dump some wine casks in because Ardbeg does it too.

B.) ...this was supposed to be a Travel Retail Exclusive but was even too much of a mess for Duty Free so let's raise its strength and pretend it's special.

C.) ...because.

D.) ...all of the above.

I'm not ditching future reviews of official Laphroaigs (yet) because they do sneak out some good stuff each year. But between the gruesome PX Cask experience and the distillery's branding choices I'm going to be limiting my Laphroaigs.

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And now onto stuff I do want to review! There are two Càirdeai from the 2012-2019 period that don't yet have their own posts, so let The Royal Us remedy that. I'm doing a taste off between the 2016 and 2018 releases.

The 2016 Càirdeas is part of the "let's take some young Laphroaig and finish it in one type of random cask" series. Madeira-seasoned hogsheads had the "random cask" privilege this time. I tried a glass of it during the excellent Water to Whisky distillery tour, four years ago. Per my notes I liked the Lore expression better, but now it's time to divine its secrets from within my hermetically sealed whisky chamber.

Distillery: Laphroaig

Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Age: ???, though probably less than 10 years
Maturation: bourbon casks first, then a Madeira-seasoned-hogshead finish

Batch: 2016
Alcohol by Volume: 51.6%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Orange oil, eucalyptus and cherry lollipops lead the nose, followed by lavender-scented soap, a hint of toffee pudding and a mix of earthy and farmy peat. It's a weird mix, though it sorta works. There's a stronger, burnt peat in the palate, mixing with sweet lemons, pink peppercorns, mint leaves, plastic and iodine. The finish is also plasticky and medicinal with lots of moss and lemon candy.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is medicinal and plummy up front, with a blur of jasmine, lavender, cut grass and cotton candy in the midground. The palate stays plasticky and sweet, adding in tangy citrus and mild wood smoke. The sugary finish has moderate wood smoke and some moments of woody bitterness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I had expected to like this better because Madeira's fruitiness often works well with whisky (to my palate, at least) and MAO liked the stuff quite a bit. The odd nose was a fun change of pace, but the fruits, plastic and iodine never worked together and left an odd aftertaste. Adding water brought in woodier notes. It's still a better constructed whisky than most of Ardbeg's limited releases, but did not fare well when matched up with the 2018 Càirdeas...

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 84

Laphroaig 18 year old (bottled 2014)

Yesterday I reviewed 2019's 16 year old, today I'm reporting on the last version of Laphroaig 18 year old. Like the 16 it's all bourbon casks and bottled at 48%abv. Many of my LA whisky friends loved this edition of the 18, and when they force fed it to me I was immediately taken in by its fruitiness. It was discontinued in 2014, but I found a bottle at its original price in 2015. Yes, I should have bought more than one bottle, but we all know that song too well. I saved two ounces for an occasion, and now's the time. Also I have no bottle shots of the thing, so here's a pic of the half-finished sample bottle.

Distillery: Laphroaig

Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Maturation: bourbon casks

Age: minimum 18 years
Bottled: 2014

Alcohol by Volume: 48%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Yes

(from the bottom third of my bottle)

NOTES

I notice immediately that the nose has half the peat and half the oak of the 16yo. Those notes are replaced by melons, lemons, pecans, new blossoms and a hint of peach candy. Smaller notes of plastic toys, cocoa powder and manure linger in the background. The palate confirms this is a delicate Laphroaig. It has a gentle minty sweetness, mild herbal bitterness and peat level close to that of Ardmore's teenage single malt. Tart apples and dark chocolate follow. It's really easy drinkin'. Ah, the fruits appear again in the finish. Cantaloupe, apricots and apple skins. Then coffee and bitter chocolate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I found the previous version of the 18 too light, but my palate has changed in the eight(!) years since that review. This version of the 18 isn't "light", rather it's a subtler, brighter take on Laphroaig than the younger official versions. In fact it may hew closer to some teenage Yoichis, than what we're used to coming from Laphroaig. I'll also note, though this whisky comes from only bourbon casks, I don't think the distillery has ever specifically said those were first fills. Something much different was at play between the maturations of this 18 and the limited edition 16, and I prefer the 18.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Laphroaig 16 year old (2019)

Since I've devoted a week to each of its South Islay brethren/sisters/cousins/factory-in-laws, Laphroaig now gets its due. This site does have some review gaps, so I'm going to fill my Laphroaig......holes.

The first two reviews this week will (hopefully) make good sparring partners. Today, it's the 16 year old, bottled in 2019. A 11,500-bottle release, it spent its time in only first-fill bourbon casks, burning in at 48%abv. Sounds promising!

Distillery: Laphroaig

Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Maturation: first-fill bourbon casks

Age: minimum 16 years
Bottled: 2019

Outturn: 11,500 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 48%

Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Reading exactly as advertised, the nose arrives with burnt plasticky and ocean-y peat along with a heap of bright honey butter oak notes. It's briny and ashy, with smaller notes of anise, charred pepper skin, brown sugar and new carpet. The palate is charred, ashy, salty and herbal. Then the honey butter. Bits of apples and cinnamon. It gets bitterer with time, but also very sweet. It finishes with Thai chile heat, sweet apples, salt, honey, anise and vanilla.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Aggressive and modern, this Laphroaig registers both youthful and oaky like most of the world's "craft" whiskies, though this one pulls it off better than most because the underlying spirit is so good. I'm thankful Beam Suntory gave it an age statement and didn't bury their product in alternative casks, but I'm not really sure where this fits in with the rest of their range. The annual CS brings bigger and better power, the Quarter Cask offers plenty of oak and the 43%abv version of the 10 year old more ably balances those two aspects than does the 16. It's possible that second- or third-fill casks, or at least a mix of fills, would have served the whisky better, but that's a guess and preference on my part. Let's see how this whisky matches up with a similar out of production Laphroaig tomorrow...

Availability - mostly sold out, but some US retailers may still have some
Pricing - anywhere from $90-$190
Rating - 83

Blind Tastings! Five American whiskies? Five American whiskies.

Here's a quick spoiler. I guessed these five mystery samples were American whiskies. And I was right. BOOM. Thank you very much to Matt O for sending these samples, waiting for ten months and then having kept a list of the five whiskies the whole time.

I don't have much confidence in my ability to sort out contemporary American whiskies. At best I can sort out how much oak and rye are involved, and I can often spot a dusty. But that's it. So this tasting was quite the challenge.

SAMPLE A

Nose - Mild char, cocoa and cherries. Roasted almonds, orange zest and mustard. Hints of sherry-ish raisins and a meaty note.

Palate - This is a rich, almost winey bourbon with berry jams. Plenty of cherries and black pepper, along with a savory hint.

Finish - Savory and sweet with bits of curry and chiles. A slight nuttiness as well

My guess (per my email to Matt O) - "A rich bourbon, almost winey on the palate. I'm gonna go with Four Roses OESO. It's not hella tannic, so I'd guess it's less than 10 years old."

The reveal!!!

Belle Meade Sherry Cask (#3258), a Corkdorks pick, 55%abv, between 8 and 10 years old, and likely a high-rye MGP fluid.

My consumption of too much sherried scotch served me well here. Matt O also mentioned he found the whiskey to be sulfurous, and with its savory and aggressive peppery notes I can certainly detect some of that stuff. I'm not sure I've had a sherry cask bourbon before, but I did like the fruitiness the cask brought along.

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SAMPLE B

Nose - At first there's lots of vanilla, caramel and butterscotch pudding, then it switches to barrel char and a pretty floral note.

Palate - Hotter than sample A. It's sweet and a little bit tart. Cherries, lime candy, hints of bananas and lots of oak.

Finish - Acidic and tart. Lots of tannins. It's mildly sweet at first, then becomes more candied with time.

My guess (per my email to Matt O) - "I'm reading more oak on this one. Going by my somewhat readable notes, I'm going to say Four Roses OBSQ 10+ years old. My second guess is a Heaven Hill bourbon with some serious age on it, but I don't know HH much beyond Elijah Craig."

The reveal!!!

William Heavenhill 14-year, 57.5%abv

Whoa, I'm already faring much better than I did with this week's scotch tastings. That secondary guess was just a gut feeling. Maybe I should expand my gut.

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SAMPLE C

Nose - Dusty and briny. Nutty and earthy. Almond extract, dried apricot and vanilla bean.

Palate - A very good mouthfeel. Its fruitiness grows with time. Lemon, berries and mint in a musty basement.

Finish - Tangy and sweet blackberries and plenty of musty oak..

My guess (per my email to Matt O) - "This has got to be a dusty thingy, and if not then someone out there has mastered dustiness. So my guess is a '70s or '80s bourbon that is neither National Distillers nor S-W, and was bottled at 100 proof or less."

The reveal!!!

Wild Turkey 8 year old 101 proof, bottled in 1984.

Firstly, yum. Love this stuff. Secondly, I'm getting creeped out by how much better I'm doing with the Americans here.

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SAMPLE D

Nose - Nuts and seeds, specifically cashews, sunflower seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds. Also a dab of raspberry jam.

Palate - Those toasted seed notes again. Roses and in-season raspberries.

Finish - Brief but still seedy and nutty. Honey and berries.

My guess (per my email to Matt O) - "This is fascinating. I have no idea what this is. It's all nuts and seeds. I'm going to guess this is some young stuff, craft distillery-ish but good. I'm even going to say there's an alternate grain involved. (Please don't say this is Hudson Four Grain Bourbon.)"

The reveal!!!

George Dickel 13-year BIB!?!?!?!? The Fedora's Love Child!!!

I um what. Yeah. The whisky is so unique that I'm considering buying a bottle of it. Dickel is much more interesting than some of its Kentucky cousins.

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SAMPLE E

Nose - Buttery and papery, with golden raisins and caramel sauce. A slight dustiness too.

Palate - Quirky, jammy. Butter, caramel, raisins. It gets sweeter with time, but also rawer.

Finish - Fruity, sweet and buttery.

My guess (per my email to Matt O) - "This is also a young one, though a little closer to classic bourbon notes. But it's also a style I'm not entirely familiar with. So I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a youthful Old Forester, a bourbon I'm not entirely familiar with."

The reveal!!!

MB Roland Single Barrel, a Cork N' Bottle pick, 52.9%abv, possibly 4-5 years old

I've never had MB Roland juice (in bold for the juice haterz), and I'd be interested in trying something else from their distillery. Though I could do with less butter, the fruits and sweets were nice. Matt O was very generous in his estimation of my guess. It's clear though I didn't know what I was starting to slump by the time I got to this one.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm here to announce that Diving for Pearls content will be 100% blind bourbon reviews going forward.

Just kidding. That was about as nerve-wracking as a blind tasting can get. I didn't know what I was doing (more so than usual), and though I was doing only 0.5oz at a time my palate was starting to abandon analysis mode and enter Drink mode.

Thanks again to my generous whisk(e)y friends! Regular biased reviews return on Monday.

Blind Tastings! Something old school

Well, I guessed Monday's mystery sample was from a Scottish island and I was right! I also spotted plenty of first-fill American oak, which was correct. Had everything else (distillery, age and strength) wrong though. I blame the aggressive cask because I'm never ever wrong about any of my blind tasting guesses ever. Soooooo, onto Monday's sparring partner, a mystery sample from Secret Agent Man.

I forgot to take a picture of the sample bottle, so here's a large question mark:

?

NOTES

Nose - Tropical fruits + industrial funk + dunnage + spent synthetic oil = !!!!  Hints of band-aids and yellow nectarines in the background.

Palate - Tart stone fruits, tobacco, butterscotch and aged cheese. Steel wool, herbal bitterness and that hint of band-aids again.

Finish - Limes, butterscotch and steel wool. Picks up some more minerals and sugar with time.

MY GUESS

Clynelish, 18-21yrs, hogshead, low 50s abv. Very old school, maybe one of my favorite Clynelishes ever.

WHAT IT WAS

Except it's not Clynelish.

It is....

Talisker 25 year old, 2004 edition, 57.8%abv.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

NAILED IT.

You know what part I got right? That it was delicious. It's pretty and dingy at the same time, complex yet very easy to drink very fast. Something about it felt like it was from a previous era. Having tried two of the 45.8%abv versions of Talisker 25 and one of the 45.8% 30 year olds, I can confidently say this is a different version of Talisker, a different whisky. As much as I praise Diageo's treatment of Lagavulin's single malt, I cannot do so for Talisker. One wonders what has changed other than demand.

GRADE RANGE: A-  (90-92)