Laphroaig 14 Year Old 1998 A.D. Rattray for Brachadair

Let us stay with the new Belgian bottler Brachadair for a moment, as they also have this 14 Year Old Laphroaig, bottled by A.D. Rattray.

At the front of the nose I get quite some ashes and smoke, covering the vanilla and grains like a soothing blanket. Then some typical iodine and greasy coals follow. Bonfire on the beach. Fish oil. Seaweeds. Lemons in a sheep stable. Evolves from sweet to sweet & sour to end in a midly sour aroma. Carries water well. When diluted I get an unmistakable, but rather pleasant, scent of plasticine.

Vanilla and citrus are the two dominant flavours on the tongue, wrapped in a jacket of smoke, peat, silt and pepper. Sturdy palate that delivers more than the promise of the nose. Stockfish. Oyster sap. A bit creamy. Adding water makes it a lot sweeter, as it puts the vanilla on the spot.

The long finish on citrus and pepper with loads of peat smoke make this a typical Laffie. And that is always good news.

Good stuff! Around 95 EUR.

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