Laphroaig Official bottlings

by **Scotched** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:47 pm

I'm a big fan of Laphroaig. I tried the 10 yr old first and loved it. The 15 yr old I adore but the cask strength version is out of this world. I tried a dram of quarter cask recently and although its tasty stuff it wasn't as memorable as the others. Which is your favourite and also what order of preference? I'd go CS/15/10/QC.

I know there will be a few of you who have tried Laphroaig 30 & 40 and I'd be interested in your views on these but they are out of my price range at the moment.

by **Thesh** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:22 am

QC
CS
10
15

In that order.

by **Drrich1965** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:49 am

The 30 is my third highest rated whisky (out of 175). Its complexity and depth are a marvel. Orange, peat, malt, smoke, lemon; wave after wave...I am getting myself depressed thinking about my long lost bottle of L30...

I voted for the QC; wonderful stuff. To me the other three are all differernt, but all rate about the same (great stuff, high 80s).

by **Scotched** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:58 am

Maybe I've been a little hasty in my judgement of the Quarter cask? One dram isn't enough to have a strong opinion either way... I'll get a bottle but I do have doubts that it really beats the CS or the 15...

by **Scotched** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:05 am

Out of interest Drrich1965
what are the two malts that beat the Laphroiag 30?

by **Di Blasi** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:16 am

My favorite is the Quarter Cask, it gets my vote. The Cask Strength is number 2, with the 15y behind that, and the standard 10y following way behind, as I don't care for it much. Although the last time I had it a few weeks back, it did pleasantly surprise me, after a long while I hadn't tasted it. It must've fit the mood!

by **Wave** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:21 am

CS
QC
15
10

Simply love the huge wave of peat from the CS, it amazes me every time!

Cheers!

by **Drrich1965** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:45 am

Scotched wrote:Out of interest Drrich1965
what are the two malts that beat the Laphroiag 30?

95 Ardbeg Provenance 1974 (55.8%, OB)
95 Port Ellen 16yo Dist. 1980, Cask 89/5891/20 (59.3%,Signatory)
94 Laphroaig 30yo (43%, OB, circa 2000)

Would not turn down any of the three..

by **Oliver** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:53 am

CS (by far)
......
.....
15 a little too smooth....
10: meek and mild when compared to the CS
I wish I could try the QC

"Look, here, my cousin's a QC"
W.

by **Badmonkey** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:25 am

The Cask Strength was a revelation to me. It gets my vote.

by **Lawrence** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:13 am

Currently I really like the QC but the old standby is the 10. I have some CS but it's been a while since I've had a bottle open, but then again I like the 15 & 30......

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:57 am

I fell in love with Lap 10 but that all changed when I met the sublime QC and I have not tired of it as of yet.
Could well be my No 1 malt..... no scratch that it is my No 1 malt

by **Bullie** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:20 am

I voted for the 15, since I like the mellowed out iodine and smoke. I like it when you don't have to go thru all the smoke to find the distillery character. But it's a close call for the QC.

by **Ardbeg311** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:31 pm

The Laphroaig 30yo is the best I have had, but that is not what I get to choose from here. My vote then goes to the Laphroaig 10yo CS since both the 57.3% and the 55.7% "Red Stripe" (the "Green Stripe" bottles remain unopened) are better IMO than the Quarter Cask. Both, however, are great Laphroaigs. After them come the 15yo and then the 10yo, which are good but not great.

Of course, the OB Laphroaig I would really like to get my hands on is the 17yo 2004 Feis Isle bottling which I hear is absolutely stunning! One of these days I will have to drop the 500+ euros for it :twisted:

since this is from my second favorite distillery and that bottle is one of the most highly rated of all Laphroaigs.

by **Reggaeblues** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:30 pm

for me, the QC was a real surprise. bought one last week for £20...possibly the best Laphroiag I've tasted. Haven't had the CS for a long while and never owned a bottle, tho' i remember liking it immensely.

The 10 YO was a staple in my early dramming days, but seemed to tail off in power. Having said that I was recently in Australia, in a bar where they opened a new bottle for me, and it was ...excellent! I had several large ones over the course of the week, and was interested to note that it was 43%, not 40% as is the norm in UK.

I've noticed that export and duty free bottlings are often stronger. Then again, all the L 10 at Brisbane airport on the way home was 40%...and VERY cheap. Go figure...

Biggest let down after all the reviews was tasting my neighbour's 15 YO. It could have been a duff bottle, but it was just...weak. I introduced him to the Ardbeg 10 right after and we both agreed it slaughtered the L 15...

by **les taylor** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:34 pm

I voted for the QC. The cask strength is definitely up there but the QC has a sweetness that i find more appealing.

by **lexvo** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:43 pm

I only know the 10Y and the QC. For me the QC is the best of the two: more balanced, more complex.

by **jimidrammer** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:43 pm

My note scores:

10(89)
15(90)
QC(91)
10C/S(92)

A very tight race, which says alot about the distillery's consistency. I was slow to come around on Laphroaig, trying the 15 first, early on in my exploration of single malts and now they are in my top 5.

by K » Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:08 pm

the QC with his 48% is a sure winner when it comes to drinkability. I love laphroaig and hate to wash away some of its character with water or ice (CS). The 10yo and 15yo on the other hand are simply not as pungent as either QC or CS.
I do tend to switch to pure CS after a couple of drams.

overall : QC here

by **bamber** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 4:49 pm

30yo
15yo
CS
QC
10yo

by **DramMeister** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:43 pm

The 10 was my first bottle of malt about 10 years ago. What a place to start :shock:

I think it isn't as powerful as it was then.

I actually found this a difficult poll, with the 15, QC and CS neck and neck. In the end I went for the CS as it is the biggest kick in whisky that I've had - so a vote for extremism!

by **peergynt323** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:35 am

The easy choice is the Laphroaig 30, best whisky I've ever tasted in my young career.

I don't know. CS is great for the "love it or hate it" Laphroaig character and QC is great for the creamy pleasurable goodness. I don't know where to put 15...it seems on par with the other two as far as quality but less focued of a personality. And 10 is a good deal and a daily drinker. It's easier to appreciate after you know the rest of the range I think.

by **Mustardhead** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:46 pm

CS
QC
15
10

Cask Strength has all the punch that the 10 used to have plus the extra ABV. It is much smoother than some IB cask strength Laphroiags I remember. I'll be doing some serious stocking up while the supermarkets are flogging it cheap in the run up to Christmas!

Quarter Cask reminds me so much of what the 10 used to taste like 20 years ago but it has something extra. If anything it is more complex. Whoever thought Laphroiag could be a thinking man's malt?

15 is not something I see very often otherwise I'd buy it more often. It used to be a luxurious treat in contrast to the savagery of the old 10. It just brings back memories of great sessions in my 20s

10 just isn't what it used to be. But I still keep a few in stock and there's always one open so I must like it really

by **si_peacock** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:20 pm

QC
CS
10
15

I'm letting my heart rule my head and tastebuds here! QC is awesome and i always have a bottle in the house, love CS and would say that it does have the punch the 10 used to have.

10 above 15 only as 10 was the first malt I ever tried and I instantly fell in love. Who says rugby players can't be sentimental!

:lol:

by **lexvo** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:56 pm

Finished a bottle of 15 since my last post in this thread (Dec 3)

I like the 15! For me the ranking is now:

15
QC
10

with the 15 and the QC very close and the 10 not much after the QC.

by **TheLaddie** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:50 am

QC
10
15

Not had the pleasure of the CS 'Tis on my hitlist.

by **Oliver** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:59 am

I finally tasted the QC over Christmas (thanks to my sumptuous wife)....perhaps one the best standard OB available...
Nevertheless I rate it a whisper below the 10 year old CS

CS
QC
10
15

Note to Laphroaig: How about a Cask Strenght Quarter Cask ? (Or CSQC

) I think I'd buy a case...or two

Excellent lineup at Laphroaig these days. IMHO, unsurpased on Islay... and reasonably priced to boot!

by **Nock** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:43 pm

I still haven't been able to get my hands on a bottle of the QC so I don't have an opinion on it.

BUT the (Red Stripe) CS caused me to fall in love with Laphroaig after the standard 10yo had all but turned me off to Laphroaig.

After the 10yo CS I went on a Laphroaig buying frenzy which is now tied for favorite distillery with Ardbeg.

My current favorite (OB) Laphroaigs are in this order:

10yo CS
30yo
10yo
15yo

(I currently have a bottle of each open :wink:

)
Nock

by **Muskrat Portage** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:00 pm

I've only acquired the 10 yo and the QC so can't comment on the CS (which I'd love to try) but of those I do enjoy QC, despite the fact that the nickname reminds me of an old lawyer.
Muskrat

by **vitara7** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:52 pm

my persoanly fav was the laphroaig 1994 feis ils bottling, but standard stuff id have to pluck for the cask strength bottle, just how i like them, strong and in your face.

by **Lugarteniente** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:40 am

CS - diluted
15y

10y

by **karlejnar** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:42 am

CS first - with QC a close second

Laphroaig Official bottlings

Favourite Official bottling of Laphroaig?

Laphroaig Official bottlings

Laphroaig