Laphroaig 18

Laphroaig 18 - Another peaty one - Why am I having so many peated whiskies? With the Lunar New Year around the corner, I suspect I might end up trying a few more peaty ones...Seems like that's what my friends tend to prefer. Personally, I'm thinking of trying a smoky sherried whisky. The Bowmore Devil's Cask sounds good, but Devil's Cask 3 is priced at a very very steep $380. It's matured in both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez, but it's an NAS, and double the prices of the first two editions. I'm not sure if it's going to be worth the price. Any recommendations?

Anyhows, the notes for the Laphroaig were from a couple of weeks ago. I got to try it, courtesy of my friend Gim.

Nose - Peat. Big peat. But it's a very clean nose. The flavours are clearly layered, and not much whispering or hiding. Fruity with honey overtones. A bit of brine as well. When the brine and honey comes together, I was reminded of toffee.

Palate - Peat again. Not as medicinal as other Laphroaigs. A little iodine, but more ash than medicinal. After some time, it becomes fruity. Ripe pears, I think. A little salty, like a sea breeze (this seems to be a recurring taste in the island whiskies). Not too much honey on the palate. The peat is balanced by the oak. A bit of coconut.

Finish - Ashy peat, a little spice - a wee bit of pepper and maybe cloves. A little savoury on the finish too, which is very welcomed. Gim says that the wide range of flavours makes the Laphroaig 18 feel almost like a full meal.

On the whole, very nice. It picked up a lot more flavours, when compared to the 15. While the Triple Wood has a little more fruitiness going for it, the 18 lasts longer, and I think, the stuff that's in the 18 is better represented. The Triple Wood has different flavours, but they're less mature, a little more nervous, a little more muted. The 18 is more confident of what it is. Guess that's something that only age can do.

Having tasted many peated whiskies, I must say that Laphroaigs and Ardbegs are perhaps a little too peaty for me. I can appreciate why they are good, but they're not going to be my favourite drink. To each his own, and may my next whisky review be for something non-peated (probably the Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask)...