Whisky: Laphroaig 32 Year (1983), 2015 Edition

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 46.6%

Cask: Sherry Cask

Age: 32 Years (Distilled 1983, Bottled May 2015)

Nose: Meat, smoke, jerky, smoked gouda, straw, hints of lychee and strawberry, old compost, earthy.

Palate: Medium-bodied, meaty, charred fruits, hints of salt and watermelon, Chinese black bean sauce, lapsang souchong tea, old campfire, weathered driftwood.

Finish: Long and lingering with pear and charred driftwood.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Summer’s Beachside Bonfire

Narrative & Notes: Meat and smoke, the aroma awoke a primal urge to upend the glass the one fell gulp. I resisted and salivated as cured meat, jerky, and smoked brisket arrived. Hints of salt and a slightly creamy funk brought to mind smoked gouda while straw, old compost, and an old garden shed carried the dram toward the earth elementals. A fruitier side teased with lychee and strawberry. Medium-bodied, the profile carried on with meat but introduced more fruit and mellow campfire smoke. Charred fruit skin and caramelized sugars brought a summer barbecue with hints of salt and watermelon to mind. The wife called out Chinese black bean sauce over spare ribs while lapsang souchong tea arrived with a delicate herbal smoke. The smoke continued to build through the end with old campfires and weather-beaten driftwood. The finish was long with hints of fruity pear and charred driftwood, the remnants of a beachside bonfire.

There is something magical about tasting a whisky older than oneself, especially when it is a rare and special treat. Distilled before I was born, I have since outpaced this Laphroaig after it was bottled at 32 Years in 2015. This whisky had a lot to love as its pungent smoke survived those long decades in oak. I was surprised to find so little fruit; in my experience, older Laphroaig can become almost magically fruity as the more acrid elements of the smoke subside. Tantalizing hints of tropical fruit appeared at times, but the dram remained firmly in the beachside driftwood campfire zone of the flavor spectrum.

Overall, a delicious and special dram. The score reflects that I thought this was clearly above average, but also a hint of disappointment as I expected a little more. The wife tried it blind and thought it was good, but she was surprised to find out it was so old; it struck her as a bit younger and a tad too light. That said, this was obviously still an excellent dram and a bottle worthy of a milestone celebration.

Image Credit: Whisky.Auction