I would like to state it’s been a while since I last posted a Laphroaig review but this is not the case after reviewing Laphroaig 16 earlier this week 😉 But as a Laphroaig fan I’m trying to taste and review as many Laphroaig whiskies, good and bad (or less good?) as I can, and I got one more for you this week.

Today the victim is the European Travel Exclusive Laphroaig, Brodir (Which means ‘Brother’ in old Norse language), Batch 002 which was bottled in 2015. Brodir is a NAS bottling, matured in Ex-bourbon casks and then is finished for unspecified time in European Oak Ex-Ruby Port casks before being bottled at 48%.

Laphroaig Brodir Batch #002 (48%, Port Cask Finish, €99)

Photo credit: thewhiskyexchange.com

Nose: First sniff is not a promising one as the nose feels thin. There’s sweet strawberries and smoke. Then you can feel the sweet peat and a bit of that medicinal note so associated with Laphroaig and assortments of other berries shows up but that sums it up and the overall feeling is of a flavored whisky.

Palate: Sharp, heavy and dry peat smoke that leaves a dusty feeling behinds, raspberries, spicy.

Finish: Medium length with dust and lingering heavy smoke and soft red berries.

Thoughts: A very underwhelming and disappointing Laphroaig. It feels thin, flat and is lacking a personality. For me, all along the way it felt like a flavored whisky, you know, like those experiments with hops, lemon and honey but here it’s with Port flavoring. The relatively weak Cairdeas 2013 (I should post a review of it someday) was a much better Port Laphroaig. Maybe Laphroaig and Port just doesn’t mix well together?