I love duty free. I love whisky. I share these enjoyments almost as much as my dad. The two of us have a little travel tradition - each time one of us travels overseas, we buy the other a bottle of whisky. So when my eyes came across Laphroaig’s Travel Exclusive PX Cask at Sydney Airport, I just had to buy it for him. And I am so glad I did! Naturally, we shared a few drams. Today’s spotlight highlights this experience.
Laphroaig is a signature Scotch whisky brand specifically from the Islay region of Scotland. Their range of whiskies is revered by connoisseurs and amateurs like me around the world. The Prince of Wales enjoyed Laphroaig so much that he bestowed the Royal Warrant on the distillery in 1994, a badge worn with pride on each variants label since.
The Islay region lends a unique set of characteristics to the whiskies distilled there compared to other regions. I’ve explored three characteristics of colour, nose and taste.
Colour – The sherry cask maturation has lent a darker golden colouring compared to their more popular expressions like the 10 year old.
Nose - There’s definitely the pronounced campfire-esque smoke that Laphroaig and Islay whiskies are charactised by, however the sweet and somewhat thick cherry notes from the sherry cask are showcased which remind me a little bit of a Christmas cake. Medicinal notes show themselves toward the end of an inhale.
Taste – Flavours of wood and cherries with a tingly sensation. The sweetness from the cherries adds some additional complexity and variety to the usual Laphroaig taste, however the classic wood and salt are still prominent.
Overall I really enjoyed this whisky. The cherry sweet paired with smoke are the key characteristics that made an impression on me. It's nice to see an old timer like Laphroaig keep up with current trends like sherry cask maturation and absolutely nailing it.
//
Written by Lachlan Munnings @mister_eats
@the.eatventures
facebook.com/jayybear
twitter.com/the_eatventures
No comments:
Post a Comment