Laphroaig 10 YO Sherry Oak Finish

An OB 10 year old from Laphroaig finished in 'sherry oak'. I think it is also not chill-filtered and without e150a - a cause for celebration, some might say. I'll admit to being more in the Ardbeg camp than the 'laffy one but the 10 CS has made me question where my loyalties lie, ha!

Bottle has been open a couple of months, two-thirds left and this pour is neat. Worth noting the colour too, a gorgeous rose tipped bronze that I hope is all natural.

Nose - Ahhh! Very, very nice, it must be said - medicinal notes of plasters and TCP mingle with bright sherry and smoked red fruits. A little tarry note as well, and I love the way the peat feels like it singes one's nose hairs when you go for a long dive. Not overly complex but engaging nonetheless.

Taste - quite a light mouth-feel, surprisingly, with ash, more TCP, smoked cherries and strawberries (if only, right? Or maybe not?) and a little red liquorice.

Finish - Med. Ash, smoke, more peat and a little sweet syrup hang in there with some light tannins that add a nice dryness. Mainly smoke and ash though.

I feel zero need to add water so I'm not gonna (blows raspberries a la Monty Python and the Holy Grail).

This is a funny one to score as I really enjoy it and, if I switch my analytical brain off (What? You have one of those, really?) it is hard to find a fault. Go digging though and I can't help sensing that the finish applied here is just that - it's like the sweeter notes are kind of tacked on, rather than being fully integrated as they were in, say, the Port Charlotte Meteorite I was very lucky to sample (although there are similarities, for sure). I suspect 'laffy purists may balk at this 'intrusion'. Still, a minor quibble and I'm glad I picked up another. A big improvement on the standard 10 too!

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