Name: Laphroaig Cairdeas
Color: Orange brown
Nose: Sweet sherry, citrus with peat and wood
Taste: Sweeten “Big Boy Laphroaig” taste with orange flavor
Review:
Since the picture was taken when the Patriots were making the comeback last Super Bowl I thought this post was worth sharing again!
This Islay whisky is finished 8 yrs in American Oak and then 2 yrs in Madeira (Portuguese Fortified Wine aka “Port”) hogshead barrels. Laphroaig blends the traditional flavor and sweet port flavor to make something different from their standard whisky. Unfortunately, the first sip is a mixed bag of flavors and immediately reminded me of a beverage from my college days. My first dram reminded me of when Sam Adams Lager started making flavored beers. They are good, but I can only drink one or two because the additional flavor(s) muffled the taste of the wonderful lager. I was in my early 20’s when I started drinking Sam Adams and I did not want cherries, cranberries, lemons, pumpkin, etc. in my beer. Years later, I still stand by that decision. I do not like things mixed together than ruin the base flavor. Have you ever had French Italian Fusion Food? It sounds like it tastes, bad.
This whisky is not bad and there are a lot of whiskies on the market using sherry barrels but most of them are not as full bodied as Laphroaig. For me, this bottle is somewhat gimmicky and might have been created to keep up with the competition that using sherry/port barrels to create after dinner Scotch. I struggle to see how this would work as an after dinner drink or daily drinker with peat and wood as the baseline. It is not bad stuff, it is just strange blend of flavors for my plate.
Priced around $65-70 and worth the money
If you like it, drink it!
If you like it, drink it!
