Laphroaig 30yo tasting notes

[jimidrammer]

Let me preface these notes with the fact that I passed on purchasing a bottle of Laphroaig 30 four times due to price and/or interest in others at the time. I finally took the plunge and very glad I did as it will disappear when the new 18 & 25 are released. Here's my impressions:

Name: Laphroaig 30yo 43% abv

Region: Islay

Color: Dark amber

Nose: Seaweed, sour/herbal, weathered oak planks, dusty books, mild pie spices, dark dried fruits after a minute (apricot, dates), a sweet dried floral note at the back like potpourri, very faint hint of ashes, as it sits awhile soft leather and old pier

Palate: Sweet, tangy spice, strong oak dryness in the middle, sorghum, wood char, then a drier spice wave picks up steam

Body: Oily, long legs

Finish: Assertive fade toward the oak with ashes again at the roof of the mouth that hangs around forever

Notes: This one puts all other malts in perspective. I can feel the quality, the age, the balance, the heritage of this distillery's style that led up to a 30 year journey from 10 to 15 and this leap shows what patience can do. The marriage of flavors and aromas speaks volumes and the above notes are just a hint of what's in there. I was expecting more smoke to be left, but the way it integrates so subtly just makes it all the more an integral element than any sort of dominating factor. With a splash of water: the aroma is all about multiple tones to the senses, an antique store, a garden nursery, a forest after a rain; the taste emulates all that is good about the aroma, just so drinkable.

Quote: The legend lives

Score: 98


This is just the first small dram from a freshly opened bottle. I plan to do sort of a journal throughout, with different moods ,it may reveal a lot more than this snapshot. Stay tuned.

[martin grant]

Great notes J-D, thanks very much for the posting. I will keep my eyes out for any bars here stocking this

[Admiral]

Yes, great notes!

I agree with you how the 30yo puts everything else in perspective.

I last tasted this about 18 months ago. It was the last malt in a vertical tasting of Laphroaigs that included the 10yo, the Quarter Cask, the 15yo, the Highland Grove bottling (11yo).

However, I'm wondering if we tasted bottlings from the same release? A feature of the 30yo that I tasted was the subtle but delicious sherry, and I don't see you reference sherry at all. (Although you do mention dried fruits in the nose, which is certainly a sherry marker).

Cheers,
ADmiral

[Bulkington]

Nice notes!

I got to taste Laphroaig 30 for the first time last night at a Laphroaig tasting at the Brandy Library. The Laphroaig representatives (Laphroaig's kilted ambassador to the US and the distillery manager, I believe) were very generous with their samples, working their way from the Quarter Cask, the 15 yo, and the Cask Strength to the 30 yo., for which everyone was grateful. And they brought peated barley for us to nibble and some blocks of peat for show, which were torched a few times for the smell.

Anyway, Laphroaig 30 became an instant favorite. Will probably buy a bottle soon, whether I can afford it or not.

[K-Mile]

Notes and reactions like these make me very, very curious. Laph is one of the Islay's I don't have yet, so I probably won't jump straight into the 30yo, but when I see this in a shop somewhere it might be nice to put up on the shelf Just to make sure it doesn't sell out completely before that...

[jimidrammer]

Admiral, this is surely the most recent bottling, not sure how many there were. The ones I'd seen a couple years ago had the nice wooden black box, silk lined, I believe. This has no box whatsoever(I'm looking for an empty one). I can hardly imagine the previous version better. As for the sherry, the dried fruits may account for that. Not a big pure sherry fan and it was subtle.

I can't really imagine a Laphroaig flight with the 30 at the end. The !0yo C/S would seem to kill the palate for all the nuances of the older siblings. I have 5 different Laphroaig bottlings at the moment, I guess I should experiment.

K-mile, my malt mileage is at 130 different expressions and this is up there next to Port Ellen, Brora, Talisker 25, '74 Glenrothes and Glenfarclas 25 for top honors.

[K-Mile]

K-mile, my malt mileage is at 130 different expressions and this is up there next to Port Ellen, Brora, Talisker 25, '74 Glenrothes and Glenfarclas 25 for top honors.

Great, just what I needed, another one pushing me towards bankruptcy

No, just kidding, great impressions of a (as it seems) great dram. Definitely get's a spot on my list..

[Sherried Malt]

this is up there next to Port Ellen, Brora, Talisker 25, '74 Glenrothes and Glenfarclas 25 for top honors.

Jimi, not to hijack the thread, but which Talisker 25 did you have? I've seen releases from 2004, 2005 and 2006 and the 2006 seems to get the best reviews...

There's a shop that's having a closeout on the 2004 and I'm sitting on the fence...

Feel free to PM me rather than taking up space on this thread.

Thanks for the help!

[Knolly]

Awesome!

After having the Laphroaig 15 yr last year, I decided to find a bottle of the 30 and managed to find one for a "very reasonable price" this spring. It still sits in my cupboard, unopened. Now I'm damned curious to go crack it open! I didn't realize that they were going to be getting rid of it for the new younger expressions Seems like Laphroaig is straining to keep up with production. The 10yr is out of BC now, being replaced by the much younger quarter cask (which isn't really a bad thing

Just out of curiosity - L15 vs. the L30? i think the L15 is possibly one of the absolute best values in whisky anywhere since you can often find it for about $50-60.

Cheers!

N.

[Ryguy]

I absolutely love Laphroaig, and I think the 15yr is exceptionoal. It happens to be one of my favorites that I have tried from Laphroaig so far. I have to ask though, how much is a bottle of the 30yr in the U.S.?

On another note, I took the plunge and purchased a bottle of the DE ($107 usd) and it's absolutely great! Well worth every penny. I'm yet to sample the 21 yr. which just arrived in the US as well. I guess I have to wait til I have more money ($315 usd).

[jimidrammer]

Sherried Malt wrote:

Jimi, not to hijack the thread, but which Talisker 25 did you have? I've seen releases from 2004, 2005 and 2006 and the 2006 seems to get the best reviews...

There's a shop that's having a closeout on the 2004 and I'm sitting on the fence...

Get off the fence! Just kidding, please don't let me influence a major buying decision. I paid dearly for a Talisker 20yo that didn't suit me. The Talisker 25 I have is the 2004 57.8% abv, emptied 1, 2 on the shelf. Absolutely great and I got them for $169US. It's good to be on a first name basis with the store owner. Everyone else was $215. I'll get the '05 or '06 if they make it here. We kind of lag a year behind release dates.


ryguy,

The Laphroaig 30yo was marked $249, but got them for $200 each. Early Christmas.


Also you said:

On another note, I took the plunge and purchased a bottle of the DE ($107 usd) and it's absolutely great! Well worth every penny. I'm yet to sample the 21 yr. which just arrived in the US as well. I guess I have to wait til I have more money ($315 usd).

Don't you mean Lagavulin?

[Knolly]

I absolutely love Laphroaig, and I think the 15yr is exceptionoal. It happens to be one of my favorites that I have tried from Laphroaig so far. I have to ask though, how much is a bottle of the 30yr in the U.S.?

On another note, I took the plunge and purchased a bottle of the DE ($107 usd) and it's absolutely great! Well worth every penny. I'm yet to sample the 21 yr. which just arrived in the US as well. I guess I have to wait til I have more money ($315 usd).

I didn't get quite the deal that jimidrammer got on the L30, but it was pretty close - about $225 roughly in Denver.

Yes, what DE? The Lagavulin and Talisker DEs are both mighty tasty! (can't say the same for the Oban DE though - the regular expression is much better IMO

Or are you talking about the Oloroso Laphroaig? I didn't know that it was available yet!

Cheers!

[Sherried Malt]

Get off the fence! Just kidding, please don't let me influence a major buying decision. I paid dearly for a Talisker 20yo that didn't suit me. The Talisker 25 I have is the 2004 57.8% abv, emptied 1, 2 on the shelf. Absolutely great and I got them for $169US. It's good to be on a first name basis with the store owner. Everyone else was $215. I'll get the '05 or '06 if they make it here. We kind of lag a year behind release dates.

Ok, I'm taking the plunge! Thanks for the info.

Btw, the store is selling it for $100 so let me know if you want some more. They can't ship out of state, but would be happy to help out...

Thanks again.

[Ryguy]

Yes, I meant the Lagavulin DE, and Lagavulin 21, sorry about that. Thanks for the update on Laphroaig 30, from the sounds of it, at $225, I definitely need to try a bottle.

[atoto]

Sherry..

Can you send me the store sellingthe Lap 30 for $100?

Thanks!

[Sherried Malt]

Atoto, sorry for the confusion but we were talking about the Talisker 25. One of the dangers of thread drift...

[Knolly]

Just as an aside, i have found that hitimewine.net is a great store to order from. They don't have EVERY cool bottle, but they often have stuff in stock that's not on the site or can get it. Their prices are usually quite competitive (like the Talisker DE for $60 and the 18yr for $56). The Laphroaig 15 is on sale for $55 right now as well

http://www.hitimewine.net/istar.asp?a=3 ... =999&pos=0

Cheers!

[atoto]

Sherried Malt - That's still a nice price for the Talisker 25 in nyc! What are the best liquor stores in the city?

[Sherried Malt]

Atoto, the stores I know about are in MA. Shops in MA can't ship out of state, but I can have stuff shipped to friends who come into NYC fairly often... And one of them happens to be gorgeous!

I do most of my shopping over the Internet, but I've had good luck with Park Avenue Liquors and Astor Wine. Very nice selection in both places and it pays to ask if you don't see what you're looking for...

Have fun!