Many of you may already know that I have a special bond with Laphroaig. When I first got into whisky my mom approached me to teach her a bit more about it, so I put together a little tasting with a peated dram at the end. To my surprise she fell head over heels in love with the dram and last christmas we opened a bottle of 25 year old Laphroaig together. Sadly my mom passed away about a month ago and when I was offered a sample of this amazing Laphroaig 30, I could not say no. It brought back a heap of beautiful memories, making tasting this dram a very special occassion for me indeed. But as always my tasting notes will be objective, but even objectively I can already tell you… This is a spectacular dram!
Tasting Notes: Laphroaig 30 Prestige
Stats:
Age: 30 years old
ABV: 45,8 % (91,6 proof)
Distillery: Laphroaig
Chill-filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Nose:
What first strikes me is salted liquorice, something that (as a dutchie) I can truly appreciate. It’s followed by your traditional Laphroaig Iodine, load of brine and old leather. With a beautiful pairing of more delicate notes such as eucalyptus, cigar tobacco and dry aged steak!
Palate:
On the palate the wonderful bouquet of meaty notes continues. With peppered steak and charred bacon bits. Paired with some roasted veggie notes of grilled leaks, roasted artichoke hearts and seared mushrooms. These veggie notes add to a beautifully complex palate, and you don’t find them in your every day dram. Some liquorice root, cooked apples, and heavily charred oak shavings round the palate of perfectly.
Finish:
Very long, with a plethora of sweet and savoury notes. A beautiful treacle syrup dripping over chunks of applewood with herbal notes of kardemom and nutmeg complementing the beautiful lingering briny character of this dram.
Food pairing:
Just don’t 😉 this is one to savour in all it’s purity, with no other flavours in the mix.
Verdict:
An absolutely stunning dram and a must try for any Laphroaig fan! Not much more to be said about it.
