Single Cask Nation Laphroaig 5yo (57.9%): The second bottle I will be tasting today from recent Single Cask Nation releases is a five year old Laphroaig. Yes, exciting..! The whisky in the bottle is distilled in May 2011 and aged in a refill bourbon hogshead before being bottled in September 2016. The cask was numbered as #185 and 312 bottles have been made available.
Color: Yellow gold. Actually pretty dark for a five year old whisky from a refill hogshead...
Nose: At the beach on a hot summer day... Waves crashing in a close distance and a faint breeze on your face: Dried seaweed, ocean spray, beach balls and other inflatable toys. Salt drying on your skin under the sun, rosemary leaves and underripe bananas. After allowing it air for a few minutes soot and charcoal dust add on. Adding water pulls it to a vegetal side: Dandelion leaves, green asparagus and fresh lime juice. Love it...
Palate: Hot... Barbecued green banana peppers, juniper berries and new make spirit. Water needed... Even a few drops suffice, it's definitely less layered than the nose but still pretty enjoyable. Peaty new make, cracked black peppercorns and bitter greens. Sea salt, ash, Concorde pears and olive brine. Toasted rosemary and dried lavender.
Finish: Long... Black pepper, alcohol burn and salt.
Overall: It is young indeed but damn tasty... It brings back the memories of a very lazy night of a summer vacation. You are chilling on a dock in a small Mediterranean town and staring at the sea: Warm evening breeze brings salt from the sea, smoke from distant barbecue parties and fresh rosemaries from the fields. And you just keep staring... Actually this dram reminded me the other Laphroaig cask that SCN bottled in 2013. if you had the chance to taste that 6yo beauty back then and liked it you will like this one as well. Such a good cask...
Price: $95
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