Laphroaig 28 Year (1993), Single Cask Nation "Laughing Frog"
Whisky: Laphroaig 28 Year (1993), Single Cask Nation "Laughing Frog"
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay
ABV: 51.3%
Cask: First Fill Bourbon Barrel
Age: 28 Years (Distilled June 1993, Bottled Sept. 2021)
Nose: Salt, lime, cream, camphor, menthol, mellow medicinal herbs, kelp broth, hints of pine, sandalwood, slightly metallic.
Palate: Medium-bodied, rich, brine, kelp broth, citrus, sugar cane, medicinal, hints of earthy florals and wood smoke.
Finish: Long and lingering with floral teases, pepper, and bonfire embers.
Score: 8+
Mental Image: Santa’s White Chocolate Nori Cookies
Narrative & Notes: The wife took a whiff of this dram and gave a satisfied “hmmmmm, umami.” The nose was gentle and initially quite brine with sea salt, cool sea breezes, and lime cream candies. The telltale medicinal side of Laphroaig was muted but present as black pepper, camphor, and menthol cleared the sinuses, followed by a rich kelp broth with medicinal herbs. Hints of pine and sandalwood gave way to an old model train set— electric tracks, grease, and smoke fluid. Medium-bodied, rich, and oily, the profile was salty and umami-driven, with kelp broth, mint, and pine battling across the palate. Crushed lime and sugar cane arrived on the mid-palate to give a bright contrast while musty medicinal herbs continued to unfold through to the finish. Hints of something floral, almost lavender, appeared at the end with earthy, subtle green wood smoke and tobacco. The finish was long with subtle maritime florals, pepper, and old bonfire embers.
The wife took one sip and described the “Laughing Frog” as “interesting.” She explained that the flavors were as if one found a smoked scallop, opened it up expecting to find delicious maritime meat, and discovered there was only the shell. I can see where she was going with that, this was not meaty, but the flavors were all very complementary with a meatiness, even if that meatiness was missing. There was an almost festival quality to many of the medicinal herbs, especially when occasional hints of pine came through. Those mellow holiday flavors and chimney smoke became more assertive with a few drops of water.
Overall, this was incredibly well-integrated, rich, and just all-around fascinating. It was exactly what I wanted from an older Laphroaig.
