Earlier this year when I saw the news on a forthcoming Laphroaig 16 Year Old I was very happy to speculate that a new core line up expression is coming but at the same time was a bit worried following the latest official releases were I found out to be a bit average or disappointing (Yeah, 4 Oak, Lore and 1815 I do look at you).
My speculating was proved to be wrong as this is a limited edition and an Amazon exclusive in Europe. If you live in the USA, you fare better as it’s available at different retailers and isn’t an Amazon exclusive (probably due to the very complex system of taxes on alcohol between states).
But even if I was wrong on the release and was disappointed from recent official releases, I did have high hopes for this release based on my experience of the previous (yet different) 16 Year Old Release from 2015 (the 200th Anniversary one). But it’s ex-bourbon casks and it’s bottled at higher abv of 48% so let’s stay optimistic and hope it’ll pan out just fine:
Laphroaig 16 Year Old (2019) (48%, £89/€94,70/$139.99)
Nose: Big peaty and coastal nose. Peat smoke, sea breeze, the return of medicinal Laphroaig with iodine, TCP and bandages, honey, very crisp, more peat smoke. After a few minutes green fruits, ripe and unripe apples, kiwi, more honey and sweet peat with medicinal notes in the backseat along with hints of tropical fruits. Continue reading
Nose: Sweet nose, red fruits with plums, sour-sweet red berries, blueberries, roses, honey, vanilla, oily and heavy. After a few minutes the berries legion is led with raspberries mixed up with a few strawberries, hints of spice and white pepper, cinnamon and hard candies. 
Nose: Somewhat dry and quite oily, A very airy feeling like we’re sniffing it from afar time does the trick and the it’s getting stronger and bolder: grapes, a bit of smokiness (and no, it’s not a Moine release), sultanas, sweet honey, pears and peaches, beeswax. After a few more minutes, soft and gentle peat, nuts and honeyed grapes. Fruit blossoms perfume. 
Nose: Red fruits, the STR cask is dominant at first with tannins and red wine. Cereals, honeyed peaches, a bit of chocolate (with some charred cask smoke). After a few minutes the PX finish enters the stage with more dried fruit and chocolate but the honey, cereals and gentle wine are the backbone of this whisky. 
Nose: Soft dried fruit, cereals, milk chocolate, raspberries and blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and soft oak spice. After a few minutes there’s a darker shade of chocolate with extra cocoa, dried cherries and strawberries, berries perfume. 
Nose: Lovely depth of notes. There’s earthy side here with dried fruits, and Portobello mushrooms, dark chocolate, sherry vinegar, dark cherries, a few specks of nutmeg and cinnamon and eventually the Deanston honey and cereals shows up through the cracks of the sherry casks notes. 
Nose: Soft, strong malt and cereals notes, with bread dough and croissant, honey. Then sweet red dried berries, cinnamon and nutmeg, chocolate, creamy and soft. The sherry impact isn’t overpowering here but the balance between the notes is exquisite. 
Nose: Malty and sweet grapes a la muscat, almonds croissant, nutty, nutmeg, sultanas, very soft, hint of pepper, soft and silky. 
Whisky Gospel 