Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

"So consistent is the Laphroaig 10, that this is one of the whiskies I test myself each day with to check that my nose and palate are on song". - Jim Murray

From the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland. Laphroaig, pronounced 'La-froyg', is a Gaelic word meaning 'the beautiful hollow by the broad bay'. The full history of Laphroaig seems to be lost in the mists of time. It's clear that the Irish had been distilling on Islay for many years and that the locals picked up the skills when they left, but because it was illegal the small stills on the farms were rarely discussed - just a nod and a wink in the right direction! What is known, is that the family called the Johnstons started farming there around 1800, and that soon after messers Charles and Willie Doig were asked to do some 'work on a distillery' at Laphroaig. By 1815 Laphroaig's reputation had spread and the tax man was getting suspicious so they 'officially' established 'Johnston & Johnston' - the legend of Laphroaig had begun.

Laphroaig is a malt to either love or hate. Full of the smoke and iodine, seaweed character Islay has become famous for, it has spurred some commentators to describe it as 'mouthwash', 'hospital gauze' or at best, 'medicinal'. Suffice to say, this is not a whisky for the faint hearted. Take Laphroaig neat like a stalwart, or with a splash of soft water. Roll it around on your tongue, release the pungent earthy aroma of blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley, the delicate, heathery perfume of Islay's stream and either swallow or spit. The final judgment on Laphroaig must always be left to the individual. 40% Alc./Vol.

Re-tasted 2019... Tamer than previous incarnations, earthier too with a farmyard edge. Less iodine / elastoplast than before, more peppermint, baked citrus, kipper and lanolin, creaming up towards the finish, trailling off with hints of Fisherman’s Friend.

Other reviews... "...as timeless and awe-inspiring as the Oa on Islay..." 95 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2025-26

...An essay in voluptuousness. The oils speak volumes here, gathering the two-toned phenols and gathering them in all corners of the palate and ensuring they stick there... The finish is not so much enormous as controlled and long, with a sublime bit of mocha moving in for the last blissful moments. Glorious still, after all these years. 40% alc./vol. 94 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2019

...This expression offers an uncompromising note of brine-laden peat and iodine, with charcoal and sweeter fruit notes also present. The palate is equally out there, with old-fashioned fabric Band-Aids, bladderwrack seaweed, black pepper, smouldering peat, vanilla, caramel, and sweet oak. The finish is as big as everything else, with barbecue, iodine, and asphalt. Still a classic! 92 points - whiskyadvocate.com (Fall 2018)

...I know this bottle is from 2024, because I bought it in the supermarket last Christmas and then forgot about it, until now… Colour: gold (still some caramel deployed no doubt). Nose: hey, Bonfanti rotation 76! I’m kidding. But it is fruitier than some other recent batches to my mind, some pineapple in syrup, some mango chunks, then damp hessian and cooling wort. Behind that a, softer than usual I would say, waft of TCP and iodine. I have to say, this generally softer and fruitier profile is really great. Mouth: a more typical modern arrival, with a little more weight towards the vanilla, the oak spice, but still balanced well enough by banana chips, some wood smoke and peat, some lanolin and camphor and then a bit of pine wood and wet rope. It feels less peaty overall than recent years, but at the same time the palate is still a tad too driven by the wood influence for my taste. In time those underlying DNA building blocks of peat smoke, iodine and seawater come through. Finish: medium, some charming herbal peat smoke and smoked teas, camphor, pine resin and cedar. Comments: same as usual 40% etc, blah blah blah. However, I really enjoyed the nose on this particular occasion, it felt surprisingly fruity for a change, whereas the palate a little more in line with what you would expect from present era 10yo. As ever, contradictions, frustrations and fascinations in equal measure. Pour one dram in a copita to nose, and one larger measure in a tumbler to sip. Last time I properly recoded notes was in 2016 and back then it was WF84, I think we can go one notch higher today thanks to that lovely nose… 85 points - whiskyfun.com