Laphroaig 10-year-old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

…It is time to compete for the title of the world’s most heavily peated whisky…

Here we go again… and I can’t wait! We are back in Scotland and in the region where peat bogs tend to choose their living place. It’s Islay and as we have already tasted a very peated whisky before, Lagavulin 16YO, now it is time to bring on the challenger. Le’s give it up for Laphroaig 10-year-old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky! It is a fierce rivalry because both distilleries are located next to each other, which makes it even more exciting to see which will conquer.

There is no introduction needed for the scotch that we are about to taste because we are already familiar with the region. Still, one thing definitely is to be pointed out before we start is that it is no beginners whisky. Laphroaig as well as Lagavulin will offer you great peated whiskies that will test your ability to handle a real smokey scotch. Lastly, I believe it is worth mentioning that the IWSC 2021 spirit award and scores are up and the very same Laphroaig 10Y.O. Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky got 95 points [1]. Congratulations to the Laphroaig distillery team for keeping their work quality on the top!
But enough chit-chat, let’s begin this epic tasting for the heaviest peated whisky title that we are going to call Diamond Whiskey Peat Award (DWPA).

While I was pouring my first glass of 10-year-old Laphroaig, I could not help but notice how brilliant the colour is. I would say the colour here is a fantastic golden brown, thanks to the ex-bourbon cask that they employ.

As I take my initial sniff from the glass, the apparent smokey-peaty aroma enters my nose. It reminded me of an old motorcycle leather jacket close to an old smoke factory. This is praise, and what is intriguing is that once you get over the smokey part, you will notice liquorice and orange that has just been pulled from a roaring fire. There are touches of vanilla and cherry in the nose, which provide just the right amount of sweetness. It is difficult to identify who is in the lead right now, so let us dig a little deeper.

The palate is smooth in your mouth, the whisky just swims quietly in your mouth, minding its business. Giving you the sweet and spicy taste but all of sudden when I hold it long enough in my mouth, fireworks start blasting in on my tongue with some pepper on top of it. If you can handle that strong fire in your mouth then do it, this gives you a nice foundation for the aftertaste. Even before the fireworks, the texture is good and you can feel the great body that the scotch has to offer.

After the last segment, the foundation is built out, and you can feel, see, hear, and comprehend how rich the whisky can be. You will go through a lot of different layers. The peppery aftertaste is followed by cold-smoked oak, which is typically used for smoking fish. When you reach the middle ground, you will notice a morning toast flavour that is slightly burnt in the centre, adding crunchiness. It is a beautiful finish that will stick with you for a long time, and just before you are left with only a great smoke from the oak, there is a tiny leftover from that peppery firework that occurred before.

It was difficult to select what meal I would try to pair with this whisky; I had some ideas previously, but then a light appeared from nowhere. Laphroaig itself emailed me with their recommendations for cuisine to pair with their whiskies. One idea was to pair the 10-year-old Laphroaig with a fish entrée. So, with their assistance, it was decided that it would involve some species of fish, but which one. I did not want to go with the standard alternatives; I wanted to give something unique with my tasting blog, so I chose something out of the norm. Pickled lampreys, which are fish-like jawless animals, may seem nasty, but trust me when I say they are delicious. Will it, however, pair well with our scotch? Of course, the answer is yes! They both form a wonderful combination that can be used as a nibble in front of the TV or as a quick snack for your quest that you can offer alongside your Laphroaig 10Y.O. The Lampreys taste like crunchy beefsteak, with a smokey note provided by the 10-year-old Laphroaig. The combined texture is fantastic; pickled lampreys have fat surrounding them that complements the scotch’s already smooth texture and also helps to slow down that fiery peppery feeling on your tongue. Fantastic success I have to say, it will most certainly be on my table again very soon, because it was fantastic!

The 10-year-old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky did brilliantly. I can not think of anything negative to say about this evening, which makes deciding which peated whisky receives the DWPA difficult. One lacked the body that the other possessed, and one was richer than the other. It was a close call, but I needed to base my selection on the one factor that truly mattered for this award, the peat and smoke. The 10-year-old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky has won the Diamond Whiskey Peat Award 2021! Congratulations to the Laphroaig crew for working tirelessly to create a fantastic peaty scotch. The trophy is yours, and if you have any other smokey whiskeys that you think would be a wonderful competition for our new champion, please contact me and I will do my best to make it happen. I hope you enjoyed this blog post and have a happy Christmas everyone! See you next time, bye!