Lauding Laphroaig (Round 4!) Jack Rose Laphroaig Tasting Review
Background
Third straight week writing up a Jack Rose tasting! Should I just email them and ask if they can start giving me a press badge?! The past two weeks have covered a lot of bourbon, so I’m thrilled to be drinking some proper scotch with a hearty (and impressive) Laphroaig tasting. Last year I covered Jack Rose’s last single barrel pick, and today’s tasting, led by National Brand Ambassador Simon Brooking, includes the launch of their latest pick. Without further delay, let’s begin because we have a plethora of whiskey to cover.
Laphroaig 16 Year (16 Years, 48%)
Nose: A minty menthol smoke, eucalyptus... It's very herbal along with the patented medicinal smoke.
Palate: Iodine, flashes of candied lemon, salted cod. A little thin if I’m being honest, but a fun flavor profile.
Finish: A rich salinity, seaweed, grilled citrus and black pepper. That peppery note really hangs around.
Very Good (6/10)
Overall: It’s a very nice pour, but the finish gets a little bumpy with an out of whack spice profile. What a lovely nose and palate, just a little too peppery and hot at the end. What's interesting is that Simon notes it as a spicy dram as well, and I agree, but think that balance gets a little off at the end.
Laphroaig 2019, 25 Year Cask Strength (25 Years, 51.4%)
Nose: Charred lemon slices, a pop of peach, medicinal lemony cough drops... a lot of that last note, actually!
Palate: Graham cracker, a bit ashy, cinnamon sticks, burnt sugars. Hints of mango and tropical fruits.
Finish: A bit of toasted oak, black tea, and a touch drying. Ash, saltwater taffy, and my god does it go on forever.
Excellent to Incredible (8.5/10)
Overall: It has a ton of depth and richness, the oak is present but balanced with pops of citrus and fruit. Balance is really the operative word with this dram. It has fruit, some smokiness, some medicinal qualities, and the age shines. This grew on me sip over sip, if I owned this bottle I would be so excited to share it out.
Laphroaig 2017, 27 Year Cask Strength (27 Years, 41.7%)
Nose: Very bright! Fresh strawberries, berries and cream, vibrant and yet inviting. Much more delicate than the last two pours.
Palate: Tropical fruit, mango and saltwater taffy... briney and effervescent. It’s almost floral at times, it's so delicate.
Finish: Oysters with a squeeze of lemon. Again there's an elegant oak that lingers lovingly. It's not quite as long as the 25 but still it's a delightful end.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: This is much more delicate than the 25, and that's not a bad thing! I just prefer the 25 more personally. This is a little brighter, fruitier, and lighter. It's all preference, but I do come to Laphroaig to get punched in the face a bit with flavor and the 25 hits harder than the 27.
Laphroaig Ian Hunter: Book 5 (34 Years, 45.5%)
Nose: Candied apple, hints of menthol still. It also has a robust creaminess, like creme brulee- but make it smoked.
Palate: Menthol registers big time for me, iodine, orchard fruit. Dried apricot, peach candies, salted caramel. Roasted nuts. Whoa baby, there’s a lot going on here!
Finish: It does coat the throat like a lemon-y cough drop. It's just there... forever. Smoked fish, seaweed, and honey coated fruit. It's medicinal here more in texture than in flavor, but in a truly delicious way.
Incredible (9/10)
Overall: Ayy whiskey older than me! This is the last of the Ian Hunter series, and it spent 33 years in ex-bourbon casks and the last year sherry. I was at a conference all last week, lost my voice, had a coffee drop a few days ago. All that said, I've recently had my share of medicinal flavors. Yet this is arguably the most soothing throat sensation I've had in three days.
Laphroaig 2024 Jack Rose Single Barrel (Distilled 2013) (9 Years, 52.5%)
Nose: Interestingly a fair bit of wood, maybe more wood forward than the rest of them. Briney again, it smells like a pour you'd crush with some seafood. Lemon and menthol, let’s shuck some oysters!
Palate: Yeah it's a big smoky crush of citrus. It's salty like lox, but also balanced by this lemonhead candy sweetness. Crisp, sweet, salty and smoky.
Finish: I'm still getting bright lemon candied citrus balanced by a briney seaweed note. It has a decently long finish, though not as lengthy as some of the significantly older ones.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: A delicious, extremely well balanced pour anchored by the bright sweet citrus. My tasting partner-in-crime and I both agreed- we wish we had this earlier on in the tasting, perhaps after the 16 year. It's such a fun welcome pour, it would have been lovely to be led into the tasting with this.
