Laphroaig Triple Wood – Review

Scotch is a time-tested dram and Laphroaig is a classic among a large field of Scotches. From the Islay region of Scotland, Laphroaig has a line of classic Scotches with that iconic peat flavor. While the 10 year iteration is the icon of Laphroaig, this tipple was my introduction to Scotch. While it is not recommended to start your experience with Scotch with a big peater, I am happy to say it worked out well for me. I love Scotch and I love peat.

And, if you are looking for peat how could one overlook “the most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies?” I could not and still cannot. So, here we have the Laphroaig Triple Wood. This is a classic single malt whisky which is triple matured. First, it spent some time in ex-bourbon barrels (as most Scotch does), then it aged in quarter casks in order to “impart extra fullness and depth,” and finally it aged in large, European oak casks. That is a lot of time in a lot of different wood. So, how does this one stack up? Let’s see.

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LAPHROAIG TRIPLE WOOD

Distiller: D. Johnston & Co., Laphroaig Distillery

Age: NAS

ABV: 48%

Bottling: N/A

Price: $65

EYE

Clear yellowish-carmel

NOSE

Nutty. Carmel. Peat. Followed by smoked honey and citrus peel. There is a lot of depth here. Iodine and seaweed/sea salt linger in the background. This is a fun one to smell. I like the nose the best.

TASTE

Smooth. I’d love to try this at cask strength to see if it had more of a bite. Smokey peat and nutty carmel drape the palate. Fairly viscus. Notes of wood and just a slight hint of sherry sweetness on the back-end. A very small amount of iodine and seaweed throughout. A decent taste.

FINISH

Medium-long. Sweet. Lots of carmel.

VALUE

I feel like this one is slightly over-priced. It is unique. It is out of the normal line of Scotches. However, with the nice nose and decently balanced palate, if this was priced in the $50-55 range it would jump up quite a bit on my rating scale and may even beat out the 10 year. Sadly it does not.

CONSENSUS

Balanced well. Not as much depth as I would like (think 10 year Laphroaig). The nose and the initial palate are the highlights. A little to expensive for what you get.

RATING

88/100 (A Solid Tipple)