As part of their 200th anniversary celebrations, Laphroaig released multiple exciting expressions in 2015 – from the “hero coming back home” 15 yo, through the 21 yo and up to the 32yo. The last Laphroaig expression from 2015 not yet reviewed is the 16 year old that is targeted exclusively at the Travel Retail market and it’s time to amend this!
Laphroaig 16 is the second expression this year that is bottled in half size bottles of 350ml (35cl). The first one to do so was the 21 yo that was available for FoL members and the decision deemed smart as it allows a larger crowd to buy, enjoy and take part in the 200th celebrations. Just a reminder, 35cl of 21yo would set you back £99 while a full sized bottle would be about £200 which I think would put it outside the reach of a large portion of Laphroaig fans. I know of at least 4 people who went ahead and purchased one but wouldn’t do so for 70cl and £200.
As it’s priced right now, A full size bottle of Laphroaig 16 would cost €92 which is inline with existing prices (similar to the 15 yo price), so this raises troublesome questions: is it where we’re heading for further releases from Laphroaig and the Scotch industry? Is it a scheme to hide current and future price raises?
Or maybe it’s just a way to differentiate it from the 15 yo bottle? Bah, I have no answers so I’ll stop the rant and let’s go ahead and review it.
Laphroaig 16 Year Old (Travel Retail, 43%, ~€46)
Nose: very Laphroaig-y, medicinal, sooty and sweet peat, hints of lemon, semi-dry, oak and honey. It’s not very smoky or much fruity at first but slowly the smoke get stronger intertwined with stronger honey and fruit notes and if you let it rest in the glass even further: strong and harmonized honey and fruit notes with a dash of smoke. Continue reading
Nose: Deep matured peat smoke, still with a very kilchoman-y profile with ashes and chimney smoke, but it’s muted and soft. Honey glazed meat on BBQ, sweet malty cereals, vanilla, sweet fruit leaning toward red fruit (sherry impact) side. Over time getting some dried fruit note and the smoke intensify a bit yet still being kept in check.
Nose: Glorious old sherry, sour and sweet, where to start? Lots of berries here, strawberries and raspberries, dates, figs, sultanas, cherries chocolate and plain milk chocolate, cooked nutmeg and a dash of bitter herbals and oak spices. Very rich and very fresh despite the old age. 
Nose: That’s a nose that isn’t taking prisoners – oriental spices, tea spices, menthol, sweet, some cigar leaves and tobacco, old books and leather but at the same time fresh sweet red fruit, brown caramel, Cream Brulee, Herbal, oranges and citrus fragranced. 
Nose: Oh my, this is good. It’s very sherried and with a spicy and dirty edge. Berries, soaked raisins, dark chocolate, nutmeg and honey. A fantastic nose, I could smell it for hours! 
Nose: A great fruity start with dark and deep fruit, peaches, pears and apricots, honey, rich and deep, you feel the age here. Nuts, nutmeg, and after nursing it in the glass for a while a bountiful of tropical fruit. All in all it’s a lovely nose. 
Nose: Just like the 25 yo this one carries too the Brora classic profile. I guess they work hard to retain it when vatting the casks for the annual special releases and it’s working for them. It’s sweeter, fresher and more friendly than the 25, gentle whiffs of smoke, fruity with a lot of peaches, wax, earthy, honey. Just plain gorgeous.
Nose: It’s plainly a Brora as there’s no mistake here with the combination of honey, wafts of peat smoke and wax. But the nose is closed and it needs some time to open up. after coaxing it a bit, we get floral notes, nutty and earthy notes and even some peaches. I added a few drops of water and was rewarded with pepper, honey and a citrus notes.
Nose: Sweet honey, a tad floral and perfume-y, chalk and a bit of dust, sometimes it feels chiseled (as serge says), remote stone fruit, apricots, unripe yellow plums, nails polish. With water: less dusty/chalk and fruitier. 
Whisky Gospel 