How does she size up? | Laphroaig 10 REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 20 кві 2022
- I'm sure a lot of you already know this one. I'm tasting a single malt scotch whisky from the Laphroaig distillery on Islay today. This is their iconic 10 year old. I'll taste it and give you my thoughts. Cheers!
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Scores:
0-75 - Crap
75-79 - For cocktails & people you don't like
80-82 - Not bad
83-85 - Getting good here
86-89 - Delicious
90-94 - Awesome
95-100 - Cowabunga Dudes
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Still remember the first time trying this one at my very starting journey of whisky; my friend and me sitting in a bar expected our pilgrimage: a dram of Laphroaig 10, which is our first try of Islay whisky after hearing all of the story. It came, with some smelling making me frown, and I sip. No kidding, I felt like someone just pull the trigger silently in my mouth. It's so amazing that soot, fire powder and soil can be perceived by drinking! What a new world!
I think this one has introduced a lot of people to the magical world of peated whisky. It's a great gateway! And I agree, it's got some fantastic flavours. Sad about the abv...
@@Gwhisky luckily we get 43% ABV in Canada and USA
@@drax14QC Definitely lucky! 🥃
You are my 2022 discovery! Thank you for your work. Greetings from Poland!
Happy to hear you like the channel, Mr. C. Welcome and thanks for watching! 🥃
Added a shot of Laphroaig 10 to the Salted Caramel ice cream after dinner today (just on mine, not on the kids’ ones). It was the best ice cream i ever had!! Seriously great combo!
Great review as always and I totally agree with you. Would be so much better at 46%. I wonder how the 43% one compares….
Cheers!
Man I do love those peaty ice creams. I remember having a bowmore flavoured ice cream cone at a whisky show a few years back and it was delicious! 🥃
My stance on this is that if this were the only whisky that a bar had, I'd be quite content with it, but if the alternative choices were Ledaig 10, Ardbeg 10, Port Charlotte 10, Lagavulin 10 and so forth, it's not a contest.
I absolutely agree.
Agree. Can't compete with the big boys. Decent stuff, though. 🥃
That might be true but the vast majorities of bars don't stock those drinks on their shelves. Most British, Spanish and Italian bars (my area of expertise) will be lucky to have two single malts on the shelf and 50% of them will have Glenfiddich 12 and Jameson. Cardhu 12 and DYC in Spain. Don't forget that 40% abv is strong stuff for most.
@@welshtoro3256 I've been to Barcelona recently. There are a select few bars with more than the usual suspects, but yeah, most are quite limited. I'd even seen Knockando and especially Dewar's more than DYC in Barcelona. I'm from Berlin, where there's a wealth of well-stocked bars, so I might be a bit spoiled, perhaps.
Agree except for Ardbeg. It just doesn’t sit well with me. I do need to try it again though, but had it twice already and it never pleased me.
First time viewer and now a sub! I have had one bottle of Laphroaig 10 year. As you can imagine, the taste of this one is quite unique. I hope you'll appreciate my young and somewhat inexperienced friends' simple review of this one. He described it as "textile" ..lol. I made him taste it again several months later and he described it the same, but he now had an appreciation for what he was tasting.
Thanks for watching and welcome!
“Textile.” Hah. I like it!
Cheers Bulldog! 🥃
Excellent Review 🥃
Thanks a lot, Rudranil! 🥃
Hi Geoff, glad you didn’t put this down to much, we all know its an entry level peated whisky with a low abv but its also got its place in the market , it’s just not for people who have advanced on their journey. This was my gateway into the world of peat but I left the 10 behind quite a while ago. More and much better choices out there. Cheers Geoff for your honest review.
Yeah I do like it! I take issue with a few things, but there's greatness in this bottle! 🥃
Fair and detailed review🙂 I think what makes Laphroaig unique is their cut. Laphroaig goes further into the tales than any other scottish whisky and that gives an abundance of off-notes. I recently came across a lightly peated Laphroaig. Weird as such a thing might sound, the lightly peated character revealed a lot of those off-notes that are otherwise covered up in peat.
Cheers🥃
Great insight, and something I didn't know! A lightly peated Laphroaig sounds fascinating. Subbed! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Older Laphroaig is, obviously, prohibitively expensive these days but I still have a bottle of Laphroaig 25 in the bunker. The peat profile has diminished into a maple chipped smoked ham with lots of fruit like barbequed pineapple. No off notes I'm afraid.
Laphroaig is a rite of passage of sorts for anyone new to whisky given how iconic it is IMHO. I totally agree with all your sentiments (esp. about QC) and, when all is said and done, my next bottle will be a Cask Strength. More greetings from Poland!
Yeah as far as I'm concerned the Cask Strength 10 is the best Laphroaig from their entire range. Beauty! Thanks for watching, Declan. Cheers! 🥃
Thanks for your time and dedication for another review, great. I like better Ardberg 10, but this is the one got me into peat whisky; so, I guess I have a sentimental attachment to it. Happily it's available in Mexico at 43% (I guess is considered the same market as the US).
Yeah it's 43% across the North American continent (and possibly South America?). I know a lot of people who got started with this one. It's a great introduction to peat. Cheers! 🥃
That extra 3% is a real lifeline Jorge. Malt-heads in Britain get very upset by that. Good for you though. 🥃
I have had one bottle of the Lafroig 10 and did not dig it. Granted it was my first peated whiskey and I clearly did not know what to expect. Very medicinal and harsh are the adjectives that come to mind. Now, I am drinking Port Charlotte 10 when in a peaty mood and WOW there is no comparison. PC 10 is a monster of complexity. Spend the extra 20 bucks and enjoy the experience rather than surviving the experience. And thanks for the great reviews. No BS and just straight ahead info!
Agree. This is one of those circumstances where I'll almost always spend a few bucks more for a much better experience. 🥃
Once I tried 10cs I knew I'd never buy a bottle of the regular 10 again
Love that CS. 🥃
To me, this is one of those core range bottlings that went down in quality over the last decade; not to the point that it's undrinkable, but to the point where there are so many other alternatives that I don't see why I'd ever want to buy it again. Doesn't help that the last two bottles I bought had off-notes to them until they were half empty and sitting open for a month or two.
Yeah my previous bottle of 10 (4-ish years ago) was pretty dull and lifeless. This more recent one I do see as a return to form, but unfortunately the weak specs do a lot of damage. I've heard rumours that overall Laphroaig's quality is starting to improve, but I don't drink enough of the stuff to confirm that. Cheers Rick. 🥃
@@Gwhisky Yes, I think that lack of punch is letting the sweet notes come forward a bit more, and the heavier tar notes are getting buried or are dissipating too quickly as a result. You could argue that's not necessarily bad, even if it's different to Laphroaig's more direct, sober style from the past.
However, in my last two bottles(2018 and 2022) the iodine had morphed into sour, rotten mesquite wood that took a lot of water or a lot of air exposure to turn back into anything resembling iodine. And of course, at 40% it can't take that amount of water or air. That isn't a matter of taste to me, it's just an undebatable, straight up off-note. It can happen once, and it clearly isn't in every bottle, but twice in four years is a bit too much for me when there are so many other things I could be enjoying. Cheers to you too, thanks for the review and the "data point".
Couldn’t agree more. I remember my first islay was laphroaig 10: old label at 43%. It was so good and so intense. They changed to label and diluted it more not long after and it was such a disappointment.
My dream would be laphroaig going the opposite direction, come back with a label life; 46% and non chill filtered. I don’t care if I need to pay more.
Until this dream comes true, Port Charlotte 10 is the way.
@@NecronomThe4th This is the way.
Wow, it sounds like you got a good bottle. I wish they were all the same but there’s always bottle variation. Need to give this one a try. There are so many choices out there, you never have to buy the same bottle twice.
Lucky for you the American version comes in at 43%. Great flavours in here, and while it's not a favourite of mine, it is a rite of passage. Cheers buddy! 🥃
There was no Laphroaig at the store today so I picked up a bottle of Glen Grant 12yo and all I can say is it’s delicious. That’s the word that comes to mind when drinking it. Happy with this purchase.
@@GrotrianSeiler Awesome! Glad you like it, man! 🥃
I really like the Laphroaig 10 sherry oak finish and Laphroaig Lore. It probably is because they're both 48%. My favorite peated 10 year from Islay is the Port Charlotte 10, but Talisler 10 is my favorite peated Scotch that's under 15-16 years old.
Talisker 10 is fantastic!
In Bulgaria this one will set me back 42-43 euros at least. For its cynical presentation? Thanks, but no, thanks.
For virtually same money I can buy Ledaig 10 or Ardbeg 10.
The only Beam-Suntory scotch single malt I'm willing to buy these days is Glen Garioch.
Cheers!
Fair enough! It definitely can't compete with Ardbeg or Ledaig. Cheers!
I only have had the Laphroaig 10 and the loss of kick after approx. 1/4 bottle I found a big let-down. Curious if that also happens with the higher abv Laphroaigs. Will def. pick up the Quarter cask and Lore sometime in the future.
I've had it happen with several Laphroaigs. The Lore did ok, thankfully. My last experience with a "flat" Laphroaig happened with the PX Cask, which is 48%. It's happened with the Triple Wood as well as some others going back over the years. Laphroaig is one of the worst offenders for going flat...
@@Gwhisky Just to make sure I wasn’t just bitching I had a Lap10 after a Laga16 tonight which have been opened and poured at similar pace. Conclusion is I have to get the Lap10 CS probably since I love it’s kick very much but this was a flat tire…
I bought a bottle about 5 years ago and have not bought anything since. My choice is ledaig 10 which is non chill filtered, non coloured and 46 abv.
And it's the right choice. 😉
I love Ledaig 10 but it doesn't taste like Islay peat like the Laphroaig 10 does (along with the unique band aid). A bit apples and oranges.
The nose was similar to Bowmore 12, which I like, but for the palate the ashtray hits my tongue and stays there. I consider it plenty intense. With water the finish is sweet and pleasant. 43 ABV is plenty.
I prefer Laphroaig 10 over Ardbeg 10 & Port Charlotte, but Wee Beastie beats all three with my unsophisticated palate.
Great Video! Curious to know - How long does the bottle last on average before going flat, as you mentioned?
I've been drinking whisky for a long time, and I couldn't tell you! Hah. Every bottle seems to have a life of its own. Broadly speaking, as long as you're less than halfway through your bottle, it can be good for many months, if not years. However you might want to speed up your drinking as the level of the bottle gets lower.
With all that being said, I've had lesser bottles of Laphroaig go flat within weeks. You never know! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Thats good to know! I have a 10 y.o that I opened a few months ago and havent gone back to, will have to pour out a dram today and make sure shes still good!
@@likkletigga Fingers crossed!
I seem to agree with most comments.
I'll never buy another one.
That being said, my friend, an 40% e150 guy, poured me a dram this week. It's totally fine.
Yeah I like it. Shame that it's neutered. Otherwise there are some great flavours to explore in here. Cheers Jack. 🥃
I Like Whisky-Sour with it. Sounds weird but i like it 🤷.
I always have a Bottle of it in my Stash to serve it to Guests which are new to Whisky and want to do a first step into the smoky Side of Malts.
I prefer (for myself ) higher ABVs and Natural Colour and un-chillfiltered Malts.
But this is a Standard and i respect it.
Thanks for your Opinion and
Greetings from Germany
It's a good bottle to serve guests, I agree. And I realize it's an entry-level offering (and one of the cheaper ones at that), but it still annoys me because I know there's a great whisky in here that's been neutered. Cheers from Taiwan! 🥃
According to brand ambassador, laphroaig 10 vatted with some refill sherry cask, also some 11-13 years old cask
Awesome! Im not crazy, then. Hah. Thanks for the info! 🥃
Nuthin‘ more ta say bro. 👊🏼
👊
All the peat and smoke dissapeared when i added a teaspoon of water in it...it's so thin... Haven't taste the Quarter cask yet...
In Canada, we get it at 43%. Canadian privilege I guess, like Highland Park @ 43% 😂
Yeah most 40% whiskies are sold at 43% across North America. Sometimes that makes me a little jealous, bet then I remember how much whisky costs in Canada. 😉
You mentionned it doesn’t last long til it goes flat - how many months do you estimate?
Mine was after maybe 3-4 months. 🥃
If I’m stranded on an island and can only have two whiskey’s it’s gonna be Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10.
Classics!
Lore & Wee Beastie for me!
Laphroaigh uses Maker's Mark bourbon barrels mainly...or atleast use to...
Beam Suntory... makes sense. Thanks! 🥃
this whisky is at 43% here in Canada .. I wonder what you would think of it back home! I'd imagine it might get 1 more point from you. I outgrew this whisky very early on for the reason you mentioned. It's such a unique and excellent flavour profile, but it just leaves much to be desired perhaps because of the low abv and complexity. I am still trying to get my hands on a CS!
Agree. And yeah... the (only 😉) good thing about being a whisky consumer in Canada is that extra 3% on a lot of the entry level offerings. I jave no doubt it's a better whisky as a result. Cheers! 🥃
Hello, here in Uruguay comes at 43 too. A shame all these cost about $100-150. And thaks for the channel, really learn from it.
@@erickcarneiro9085 You're lucky to have it at 43%, although it sounds like Uraguay is an expensive place for whisky! Thanks for watching, Erick! 🥃
Unfortunately I found it overrated and in Australia it comes in at 40% ABV. I really enjoy Ledaig 10 and Ardbeg 10 which we get here at 46% ABV. But some people love it, however I love the quarter cask which I had actually tasted before the 10 which may have added to the disappointment. Thanks Geoff, your reviews are great and really helpful.
It's a pleasure, Steve. Agree. All of the alternatives are better. It's decent stuff, but there's a lot of better competition out there. 🥃
I've recently learned to become critical of peated drams, I think largely having to do with having bought and tasted so many cheap, sub $35 bottles and learning about peats ability to lipstick pigs. To be clear, I LOVE peated whisky but these days, if I'm drinking a peated whisky, I try to go as deep into the notes as possible, looking for anything being covered over.
I kinda now think that any given reviewer's grade of peated whisky's might be a half grade too high if they came to realize what flavors are getting covered up. I don't know, I still have a lot to learn.
You're absolutely right. There's a lot of "lipstick on a pig" happening with peated whisky. More often than not, they use the "peat is more punchy and powerful when it's young" excuse to bottle immature and unready whisky. To be fair, there is a market for these whiskies, as a lot of people tend to like them. But yes, like you, I tend to prefer peated whiskies with more interesting, complex, or sophisticated characters. Cheers! 🥃
The trouble is peated whisky isn't cheap after 12 years and heaven forbid it it mates with a sherry cask. It can mask some pigs but it's almost the only style that is good young unless it's completely craft like Bimber.
I have the same issue with the Redbreast 12 (although it is a much less flawed than Laphroaig 10) in that as good as it is, it is massively handicapped by the low abv. And yes, much like with Laphroaig, there is a cask strength version, but a cask strength should be an alternative to a 46%, not to a 40%, and i would be happy to spend those extra bucks if they were better presented. But as it stands, 40% abv puts me off too much to make me want to buy these whiskies ahead of others which are better presented.
Redbreast is another great example of "missed potential." In fact there are loads of whiskies that would/could be great if they were simply naturally presented with a decent abv. Cheers Alessandro! 🥃
It’s 43% here in the states. I like it but enjoy the QC more. Still, I would always choose an Ardbeg over a Laphroaig. Of course they each offer a very different taste experience. I just prefer Ardbeg.
Agree! 🥃
it’s weird how prices are different from market to market. Here in Illinois Laphroaig 10 is $65 now, but same time PC10, Ardbeg 10 and Ledaig 10 is $60, also Talisker 10 is $70. Last bottle of L10 I bought was 3 years ago, when it still cost $40. I did like it but not for $65. Cheers G!
Funny how in a few areas in the States Laphroaig is a few bucks more than those other three. Makes no sense, especially when we factor in the specs. Cheers!
I just bought it in Cali at total wine for $42
It's a good one, sadly it costs more than ledaig 10. Quite strong flavour for 40 abv
A great smokey 10 for me. I would disagree with the abv comment, but respect your thoughts. This is a must try for any Islay fans for me. Cheers!
To be fair you've got it at 43% in Canada. Europe and Asia get the stuff at 40%. I'm sure your version is better. I agree that there are great flavours in here, it’s simply too weak. Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Very true
Laphroaig 10 is priced the same as ardbeg, ledaig… here in Australia about $100au
Makes the choice easy, then. 😉
Laphroaig is your everyday peat whisky if you don't want to break the wallet. I have to pay 30-100% for other competiting brands like Talisker, Ardbeg, Ledaig and Port Charlotte.
Fair enough. It's a pleasant and easy go-to! 🥃
My biggest gripe with the Laphroaigh 10 is that it is a tad bit one note and JUST 40% in the EU. 40% is simply not enough for it imho. Quarter Cask on the other hand is 48% and is imho a much better whisky and a bit more complex as well.
Agree! I'll be comparing all three entry level Laphroaigs in an upcoming video, but might as well spoil it now: QC is the easy win. Cheers! 🥃
Laphroaig 10 is a malt I will gladly drink but rarely buy. It's 43% in the USA, which helps. I'm fairly certain that it is 100% ex bourbon, and the underlying malt is very honey-sweet; try nosing an empty glass which held Laphroaig the next morning and see if I'm right. Laphroaig 10 is usually a few dollars, like $5, less than the higher-quality 46% competition.
Laphroaig 10 kinda breaks my heart, because I was once in love with it, but with the fake colour, low ABV, and being unsure if it's chillfiltered, the bloom fell off the rose. Sad.
Agree. It's about USD $15 cheaper than most of its competitors here, but even so, I don't feel the need for another bottle simply because of the weak specs. Cheers buddy. 🥃
@@Gwhisky it might be interesting to compare this bottle to select at 40%, I can't imagine there's much of a difference.
@@MrChristopherMolloy Already shot that video! Select / 10 / QC shootout. 😉
@@Gwhisky great minds think alike! LOL
For the past couple years, Laphroaig 10 generally seemed to be rated below Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Port Charlotte, etc. But I’ve seen several recent positive reviews, seems like it’s coming back in style.
Possible. I've been enjoying the Quarter Cask and the 10 more than I have in the past. Could be! The specs still need some work, though. 😉
I think Laphroaigh could "fix" or at least make it easily more interesting dilluting it less to raise it to 44-45% ABV everywhere and making it non chill filitered. I understand it's an entry level whisky and they don't want to scare newcomers. I DO wish the cask strenght ones were more widely available. I can't find it anywhere here in Spain :(
I agree with that. I actually enjoy quite a lot of whiskies at 43%. It's a good starter abv.
Well, I guess I’ll join the crowd in saying that the other 10 year old peated whiskies on the market seem to be better . However, the way I see it, aside from the quality itself, each distillery that makes peated whiskey has its own unique peat flavor, and, at least in my opinion, the Laphroaig peat flavor is one of the best. It’s probably the reason why they get away with expressions like Select and this 10 year old. Personally, I always have a bottle of the 10 in my house, and no matter what other whiskies I try in a day, I almost always end it with a sip from this one, just for that smokey taste that lingers in your mouth afterwards.
On a different note, Laphroaig recently got a new distillery manager. Who knows, maybe in the future we’ll see this whiskey finally catching up with the other 10 year olds.
I'd heard about the new manager coming in. Really hope he can make some changes. I'll be cautiously optimistic, as we're still dealing with Beam Suntory. Cheers!
Just had a dram watching this. It’s 43% here and still really “watery”. The 40% must really suffer from it. Mine is near its end and it definitely lost character unfortunately. Aiming the ledaig 10 next. No sherry for me nor any jam notes. It is kinda fruity but I would say it’s more nutty than fruity (heard the 43% is more akin to the older bottles than the 40%). And I heard they only use ex-bourbon casks, Makers Mark specifically because they own it. I like it but yeah, I would rather explore other peated whiskies than get another bottle of this. Would open an exception for the CS version. Cheers!
Opened my Ledaig 10 yesterday. What a treat. It is a very different dram. It was weird that it reminded me of the Talisker 10 which I don’t love but just soooo much better. I definitely got that funky/cheesy vibe you mentioned on the other review. Too different from Laphroaig 10 though be be an actual replacement. I’m going after the CS version.
Do think that your taste capabilities have been getting better, especially since you taste “professionally”? Might that be the reason for changing your opinion on several whiskies?
I'm not sure. Whiskies do change over time, and my tastes and preferences have never been static, even prior to the channel. That being said, the channel could very well have an effect on my tasting "skillz." I definitely never broke anything down in so much detail before I got on UA-cam. Yeah... very possible! 🥃
Laphroaig is a great distillery, one of the greatest, but they provoke problematic issues. Laphroaig 10 at 40% in 1980-2005 was okay but it sure as hell isn't any more. If it was 46% it would be a stunner. They don't care about that because it still sells in bars and restaurants all over the world. Ledaig 10 and Ardbeg 10 don't. Why the hell do they colour everything? Even the cask strength stuff - I mean WTF! Nevertheless, the regular 10 has a strong character but it's far weaker to what it was 20 years ago. Seriously, if I went into a bog standard pub in Wales this whisky would win by a mile.
I'm a Laphroaig nut and have numerous independent bottles where they really shine. This one is still great for beginners and very interesting but compared to Talisker 10 in the same ballpark? It's 43% in the States and that's a big improvement. I see how whisky is consumed outside the whisky community and Laphroaig can get the sales at 40% and still taste extreme to regular folk. The same is true of Lagavulin 16. Great review and I'm in agreement on all points. WT
Well said. Laphroaig definitely makes it's money from selling to either casual drinkers or people who are just getting started. If you're new to whisky, I'm sure something like this would blow your mind, even at 40%. I think sometimes us whisky nerds overestimate how important we are within the overall whisky market. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky Very true, we've become rather insular and we really are a minority. We don't get very excited about Aberlour any more but they sell huge amounts of 40% whisky in France and the French consume more whisky per capita than any other country. Cardhu 12 doesn't rock our boat does it? But it's one of Diageo's best selling whiskies, largely because it's Spain's most popular Scottish single malt. And then there is the blended market, which even today in our malt mad world, easily outsells single malt.
Diageo's CEO, Ivan Menezes, was recently interviewed on the BBC's flagship radio news programme, 'Today'. They were discussing the incredible sales of Diageo in today's volatile market. What made it interesting to me was how he didn't mentioned single malt whisky. It was very clear that Johnnie Walker is their flagship brand with a global presence. E150 and filtration are alien words to 99% of the whisky drinking world.
Laphroaig 10 year is my favorite whisky. I have bought more bottles of the standard 10 year then any other bottle. I have tried 100’s of other whiskies but i still come back to the standard 10. Yes I know - try the 10 yr cask strength. I have and also many other Laphroaig bottles but for the price and the experience the standard 10 is still #1 in my heart. It’s 43% in the states. The only other Laphroaig i love more was the 2015 Cairdeas. The PX this year was good too. Cheers and i consider myself lucky my favorite whisky is still $40-$45 in my area.
Glad you're a fan. I have a very experienced friend who shares your high opinion of this one. We like what we like! 🥃
I'm with you Nathan. The 40% is the killer for most of us. It would be on my shelf right now if it was 43%
This comes as 43% in the US.
yall dont get this at 43%?
European and Asian markets get a LOT of entry level offerings at 40% instead of 43%. Highland Park 12, Edradour 10, entry-level Laphroaigs, this list goes on.
It’s delicious but with those spec’s at that price I can do better.
It´s good but QC is about the same price...
True. I'll actually be comparing all three budget Laphroaigs in an upcoming video. 🥃
@@Gwhisky That's what I was gonna suggest but I thought you might have been satisfied with the comparison bit here.
How dare you lol. I love Laphroig 10. But I accept you not liking it. The best whiskey is the whiskey that you like the way you like to drink it. I love a smokey scotch and Laphroaig 10 is at the far end to the point of iodine and bandaid which I understand some people don't like.
Hey man I do like it! Just not top-tier imo. Lol cheers. 🥃
You talk absolute crap mate. Stop pretending.
Angry boy. ⬆️
Just a drink, sweetheart.