Whisky: Laphroaig 30 Year (1990), Thompson Brothers "Isle of Islay"

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 50.2%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 30 Years (Distilled 20 Nov. 1990, Bottled 2021)

Nose: Sea and saltpeter, maritime, smoked oyster, fireworks, herbal notes grow with time, burning pine, subtle mint and charred citrus.

Palate: Medium-bodied, viscous and smooth, maritime brine, charred citrus, pear, slightly acrid, herbal and medicinal, tobacco, pine, herbal funk.

Finish: Long and briny with herbal citrus, funk, and wisps of smoke

Score: 7

Mental Image: Napoleon’s Cocktail Tent (my wife’s suggestion: “Rubber Slippers in a Summer Orchard”)

Narrative & Notes: Crackling musket fire and pounding of the surf, was I at a reenactment of a seaside Napoleonic battle? A salty mineral-laden maritime breeze ran throughout the nose, initially with saltpeter, handheld fireworks, and smoked oysters. An herbal undercurrent gradually crested, bringing with it a more medicinal edge, burning pinewood, and subtle mint. Scattered throughout were subtle hints of charred lemon and orange peel. Medium-bodied, the profile featured a mellow, smooth viscosity and shifted from acrid industrial to herbal and slightly medicinal flavors. Maritime brine ran throughout, initially with pears and charred orange, lemon, and grapefruit. An herbal wave rolled in immediately after the fruit, medicinal at times with thyme and sage; at other moments, tobacco, pine, and thistle stood out. The finish was long and briny with an almost hoppy herbal citrus note, a slight herbal funk, and wisps of smoke.

I have consistently been impressed with the robust, occasionally pungent, flavors of these older Laphroaig (bottled without the distillery name but readily identifiable) from Thompson Brothers. I typically find older Laphroaig too mellow and mild after decades in the cask for my taste. Yet, these were feisty and assertive, barely tamed by time.

If I were to quibble about the qualities of the malt, I would start with the fact that this could be a bit acrid on the nose and palate, especially at first. I was also not a massive fan of the funky, almost dank, herbal quality on the back end and finish and wished that the fruitier elements stood out even more or had more depth. My wife actually felt the fruit notes were dominant with underripe nectarine and pear joined by just a hint of industrial rubber— a rubber slipper factory, maybe.

Overall, it is hard to go wrong with these older Laphroaig from Thompson Brothers.

Image Credit: Whisky Base