A vibrant young Laphroaig whose maturation has been speeded up by ageing in Quarter Casks. This shows soft sweetness and a velvety feel when first tasted, then the intense peatiness so unique to Laphroaig comes bursting through. A really terrific whisky and great value. Whisky Bible Awards 2012: Runner-up Best No Age Statement Single Malt Scotch of the Year
Seductive smells. Ripe, new-make barley sweetness. A barbecue. A flower. A sooty chimney. A horse. A can of condensed milk. A slice of apple and a piece of Gouda. An amazingly tactile nose, if that makes sense; the aromas seem to make physical contact, they touch me.
Oak. Fruit. Grandparents' musty apartments. Soft impact that is very sensual and easy at the higher-than-normal abv%. Toffee and stubbed cigarettes. Nutty cheesiness. Slow arrival of a huge peaty impact and a cloud of smoke. Smoky finish with biscuity chewiness hanging around.
SUMMARY: An absolute treat to drink. Full-on and not for every mood, but hearty as a good stew. A sweeter, softer, friendlier Laphroaig that still manages to fill every corner of the house of your senses with the medicinal peatiness in ways that only Laphroaig can. And should. And does.
[These tasting notes are reproduced from www.drwhisky.blogspot.com]
Palate: Full-bodied, rich and mouth-coating. Delicious sweet gristy malt and rich peat, woodsmoke. The coal appears mid-palate.
Finish: Very long, sweet and smoky, with the coal lingering longest.
Comment: A belter. Denser and deeper than the 10 yr-old. Very more-ish.
Customer Reviews: (41 reviews)
This really is an immensely good whisky and a fantastic addition to the Laphroaig range. When you have the urge for a peat hit it's guaranteed to satisfy your need. Every peat lover should have a bottle in their collection.
- The Colonel, 8th April
Well priced Whisky! My best Islay Whisky ever from Laphroaig....absolutely make no mistake. Bravo!
- Lapogee, Germany, 3rd Dec '12
this is propably my current favourite... great value for money.
- anonymous, 19th Jul '12
compré mi primer botella de Quater Cask hace un año, es un gran whisky, mucha madera y las notas típicas de Islay se mezclan con sabiduria. Muy recomendable.
- Ignacio from Rep. Argentina., 11th Mar '12
This is a great dram, the tasting notes are spot on! An inticing nose is followed by a soft mouth despite it's high ABV, then the intense complexity comes through. A driving warmth of beautiful peat that follows like a waft of pleasant smoke which lingers nicely afterwards. Quality and distinguished.
- Drums, 26th Feb '12
I tend to think of Laphroaig 10 as my 'old faithfull', but now I'm sitting with my first glass of QC, I feel as though that position may be under threat. I've yet to taste them side by side but what strikes me about this one is the prominence of charred oak and how it lingers around for longer than with the 10yo. Excellent stuff.
- EC, 17th Jan '12
Great nose and taste... Not as balanced as Lagavulin 16 and Ardbeg. Not as powerful as Ardbeg. Leave it for an hour and you will get Vanilla and Cinnamon some Baileys Irish cream smell. Nice peat smoke, and tastes like tarry and oily at times, as soon as you exhale you are bombarded with a charred log of wood. A little aniseed / clove but most people confuse the alcohol sting with pepper. Nice but doesn't leave you pondering like Ardbeg or Lagavulin...
- ckingphoto, 17th Jan '12
I have totally changed my opinion about Laphroaig, thanks to QC. The soft smokiness, fruitiness, salt, vanilla, cinnamon...
everything in perfectly balanced harmony. Relaxing, reminds me Lagavulin 16 yo.
- Mikko, 6th Dec '11
I do prefer Ardbeg over this, however considering the price, its the most popular malt in my cupboard. Very heavy peat, iodine, medicine, sea salt and a certain sweetness I cant put my finger on. I love this stuff.
- Equity, 4th Dec '11
Had a couple of glasses over the weekend. First taste, there is a fantastic level of smoke here, some medicinal, phenolic character but overpowered by the aroma of a fireplace. Balanced flavour again with enormous smoke which lingers as ash on the finish. Really impressed with this. Next day similar but kippers rather than fireplace smoke dominates which makes it a bit less exciting. Still a great Laphroaig.
- Kevin H, 28th Nov '11
I've been wanting to sample a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask for a while now, & it certainly didn't disappoint. A massive peaty sucker punch to the palette. A sheer delight!
- Mr E, 26th Nov '11
this is superb stuff, just has you would expect from Laphroaig.
In a word stunning!
- mark brailsford, 5th Nov '11
I think the TF review got it close to perfect.
- anonymous, 3rd Jul '11
@James: Lagavulin 16 is an all-time classic, I find it much richer than Laphroaig. It's much drier too, none of that sweet peat that's found in Laphroaig. They're both great, but Lagavulin is more satisfying - you'll love it.
- anonymous, 25th Jun '11
Hmmm this one was a bit of a disappointment for me given how much I enjoyed the Laphroaig 10. I found it nowhere near as rounded or smooth as the 10 and the extra proof served only to further mask the smoky character that I was expecting from this malt. It's finish was muted and overall left me reaching for my Laphroaig 10 to renew my faith in my own taste buds. Hmm... I wonder if the Lagavulin 16 will be any better...
- James D., 24th Jun '11
The first whiff, and I was in Islay, seaweed, peat, ocean spray, and I could actually smell the salt
- anonymous, 12th Jun '11
This is my first Laphroaig, and I really enjoyed it. Huge amounts of peat and smoke of course some small hints of salt and a nice long finish. Hints of sweet vanilla combined with the other flavours do give a slightly medicinal impression, but this did not put me off -- in fact the medicinal hints reminded me of Yoichi, one of my favorite Japanese whiskies.
- Danny Hughes, 24th Apr '11
This is a stunning Malt Whisky and a real treat: Feisty Sea-spray and black pepper on the nose, a structured arrival with a smoky bite that melts on the tongue with an oaky, tangy-citrus firewood that finishes with a mouth filling smoke and peat warming the throat. I'm trying the 10yo Cask Strength next
- MattBerg, 13th Jan '11
Oily mouthfeel. This is a peat / smoke bonfire that is very representative of Islay. Starts out sweet, delicate, followed by towering peat and smoke. It is refined, not rough or sharp. Mid-palate the American oak casks appear. Smokey, but not over the top. Again, reminiscent of a heap of damp branches set afire out in the woods on a fall day with the drizzle of rain overhead. Limes and ginger. Flavors linger for a very long time.
- Jason's Scotch Whisky Reviews, 2nd Aug '10
Excellent peaty whisky. Preferable to the 10yo which is also splendid. A favourite of mine and my friends. You wont find better for the price
