Laphroaig Cairdeas 200th Anniversary 2015
Nozinan Mini and Sample Series - 17
1 1786
Review by @Nozinan
- Nose22
- Taste21
- Finish22
- Balance21
- Overall86
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Distribution of ratings for this:
Bowmore Tempest meets Laphroaig
Although the Cairdeas does not carry an age statement, the distiller has indicated that the contents have matured for between 11 and 12 years. It is bottled at 51.5% and is released to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the distillery.
Thank you to @Paddockjudge for sourcing the bottle for me and also for the sample so that I wouldn’t have to open the bottle right away.
I reviewed it in my usual manner. However, it was sampled in a mini-glencairn glass, purchased from the Laphroaig online shop, and identical to the one used by the master distiller who did his tasting video on youtube. This may have changed the way I might experience the nose a little.
Nose:
Neat – sweet peat is the first thing that hits you, reminiscent of Quarter cask. Hint of burning electrical wire. Chocolate. Candied citrus rind. Some sort of sweet tropical fruit…papaya? 22/25
With water- slightly sweeter nose, pear peeks through. Peat is subdued. No electrical fire. Smells “warmer” (22/25)
Taste:
Neat – thinner than expected. Light. Salty. Some tart citrus and lots of dry peat. Chocolate at the back of the tongue, interestingly. A bit bitter. Less sweet than the Quarter Cask. The flavour builds a little with each sip. 21/25
With Water- sweeter, fruitier, more citrus on the development. Eventually develops some effervescence. Less peat. Bitter towards the finish but more balanced. (21/25)
Finish – dry, astringent. Ashy. Lemony. Very, very long. 22/25
Balance – fairly good balance between what the nose promises and the palate delivers. A bit light in the mouthfeel, and sometimes the flavours are not balanced in the mouth. 21/25
Score: Neat – 86/100 With Water 86/100
Milk Chocolate does nothing for it. Interestingly, the modified Ashok manoeuvre (essentially gentle warming) mutes the nose and the taste, especially the peat.
This is a challenging dram. I think with perseverance it will likely be rewarding, and part of the score reflects this potential. However, I think this would scare away beginners.
With water it changes into a different, more citrusy dram, and I can get that more easily with something like Bowmore Tempest V. So I would probably be very stingy with the water next time.
I also find it disappointing that it wasn’t bottled at cask strength. The 51.5% is meant (the last 2 digits) to represent 2015. A 2015 on the bottle and CS inside would have been better.
It is noteworthy that over a half year after it was released and sold out in Ontario, and though not available on the major UK sites, a google search of the price does not show any significant increase in value. Given what I tasted today, this should come as no surprise, as there are many alternatives at or below the retail price that are available and tick off the same boxes.
If I remember to, I’ll try the second half of the sample in a regular glencairn and see if there is a difference, and report back.
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@Nozinan. My impression right out of the fresh bottle was that it was a cranked up version of the 10 yr. old. I got plenty of the signature peat, smoke, medicine cabinet and rubber in both the nose and the taste. It took a good splash of water to subdue the alcohol and get it into just right drinking mode. Loved it. I have not been back to it for a while as I'm trying to make it last so I can keep my second bottle intact for as long as possible. Now, based on your experience, I am wondering if it loses some of that character and punch after it has been open for a while. Do you know if Paddockjudge's bottle had been open for a while before he took out your sample? I'll try mine again this weekend. It's been open for around 5 months now. I'll keep you posted. Cheers.