Laphroaig 28 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) - 2018 Release

Other reviews... Aged in quarter casks, bourbon barrels, and sherry butts for 27 years, then finished in sherry casks. Red apples and honey on the nose, where the characteristic Laphroaig phenolic attack becomes muted with time. Dried fruit, malt, and vanilla on the palate, along with subtle notes of iodine and warm tar. Developing brine, dark chocolate, and licorice leading into a dry, smoky, peppery finish. 92 points - whiskyadvocate.com, reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

...The wording on the rear label of this one declares it to be “…matured for 28 years in a suite of artfully selected casks”. It was also finished in sherry casks for 12 months. So, a fairly contemporary degree of wood tinkering has gone on. Let’s see… Colour: coppery gold. Nose: rather thrillingly, on first nosing there’s an initial rush of tropical fruits of a style more reminiscent of an old 1980s bottled 10 year old for example. Guava, mango, kumquat, star fruit etc. There’s some very soft medical embrocations underneath that along with a similarly soft, coastal-flecked mineral aspect that was more prevalent in the Boutique-y. Touches of steel wool, pine resin, roof pitch, TCP and light herbal teas. On the nose so far it’s really excellent I have to say. Mouth: the fruits are not as voluminous on the palate, rather it’s more towards seawater, dried seaweed, light tarry extracts, dried herbs, bonfire smoke and things like chalk, clay and mercurochrome. I don’t really detect any overtly active wood so perhaps many of these casks it’s been in were not that active. There still a really pleasing amount of distillery character on display. Some notes of lemon peel, bergamot and vapour rubs. Lovely stuff. Finish: Good length and rather sooty and camphor with a nice oiliness and sense of a linger textural fatness. Comments: I was dubious about this frightening juggle of casks, but it hasn’t interfered with the distillery character. On the contrary, this feels like a very lovely and rather luscious transitional style of Laphroaig. I’ve tried a few of these various official aged Laphroaigs they’ve put out in recent years and, I have to say, I’ve found most to be very good.
90 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com