Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016 Madeira Cask
51.5% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: I know there is smoke – it’s intense – but what draws me in first is the sweet fruits. Then it leads with the smells of first rain on pavement (the minerality) into that smoky, smoky layer… and a tiny hint of florals.
Taste: Ripe (salty) red fruits come through the dense fog of smoke. Citrusy notes – blood orange – and orchard fruits.
Finish: Gentle, sweet smoke with cinnamon bark, spices, and fading fruits.
This is a decadent dram. This is a dessert dram, or an aperitif. It’s a dream! Well, dream is what autocorrect and ‘suggested grammar’ is telling me... it is not incorrect.
The Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira Cask places a thick layer of fruits and citrus on the base of a peaty, phenolic malt. I think that the moderately high ABV (51.5%) helps give it a punchy and youthful quality. I’m surprised how much saltiness comes across – and how much of a tang from citrus or something like currants there is. If this were side-by-side the core range of Laphroaig, I’m not confident I would be able to say it’s from the same stills… especially if I was given a suggestion that there was one that did not fit in with the family.
As an aside, I have begun to realize that what I have done is procrastinate writing detailed reviews of some of the tastiest whiskies I have. Particularly because I know that I need to get through a sizable amount of the bottle before I feel that I understand the spirit and can write down an honest, informed review. This bottle? It is just under half full! What sadness! It’s been a cracker right from the twist off and first pour.
Tasting Notes (Official): As you begin to enjoy this expression, you’ll find an aroma of ripe orange fruits and sweet liquorice moving into spices and dry mixed peppers before concluding with a lovely dry, nutty finish. On the palate peary, earthy flavours emerge, followed by a hint of dry saltiness. Creamy orange tones follow as this Cairdeas finishes with a bold and lingering spicy dryness.
Tasted 30 April 2020. (Posted 06 May 2020.)
