We’ll place a Laphroaig 1998 by Malts of Scotland against the Whisky Agency release we reviewed yesterday. As usual for Laphroaig, both were matured in bourbon casks.

Laphroaig 12 yo 1998 (59,6%,
Malts of Scotland 2011, bourbon hogshead 700272, 152 btl.)

Nose: it’s remarkable how similar this is: deep smoke, seaweed, antiseptic – the same ingredients and the same result. If we’re really splitting hairs, then this version has less citrus notes and something lightly fragrant (like a vanilla floweriness). But maybe it’s just the higher strength? Anyway very clean and without surprises. Mouth: just as powerful but a tad less sweet. It shows more lemon and other citrus fruits. Big peat and big lemon. A little liquorice. Very fresh but a tad less complex than the Whisky Agency cask. Develops an earthy grassiness as well. Finish: sooty, long, with some pepper and cocoa.

I have some difficulty writing about these Laphroaig, because the distillery has such a small deviation! Apart from a few details, bottles from a certain era can be really interchangeable. Around € 65.

Score: 86/100