Thanks for shining yet again a light on the Laphroaig 10CS, Shane. Haven't had this one...but maybe I'll pick it up next time I'm on Islay. Slàinte mhath
Just got Batch 15 yesterday. My first cask strength Laphroaig - delicious! Something I've been wanting to try for years. Initially, I had ordered Batch 16, but my order had to be canceled because it wouldn't ship to the United States. Thanks for the review and cheers!
Nice one Lock, I loved batch 10 and 12, so seeing you haven't had a Laphroaig melt down I might make this my peated malt for December ( hope you saw what I did there being still August) 🙂
Good luck keeping this back till the next batch! Thanks for the review, I have enjoyed every release of the CS I have had the pleasure of tasting. Cheers!
Cheers John. Yes I think it is good value for money. £74 isn't cheap but I was thinking yesterday what else you can get that's Cask Strength and Islay for a similar price.... there aren't many options! So I'm glad we get these 10CS batches from Laphroaig 👍 look forward to your thoughts when you get one 🥃
Good one, Shane. My bottle has just arrived and I haven't opened it yet but, like you, I look forward each year to the latest release to see how the batch fares. That's another positive which is perhaps worth mentioning - the batches do vary from year to year (or release to release) - which shows off another natural aspect of releases of this kind to both the whisky novice and the dedicated drinker alike. Yep, it's a pity that colouring is used, as the ex-bourbon casks used for maturation would not normally result in a slightly orange-coloured whisky (when will they ever learn?). Yet, at the end of the day, this series is maintaining generally high quality levels at - what is now - quite a reasonable price. Compared to some seemingly quirky Ardbeg special releases, there seems to be much more value and BFYB available here. Many thanks for the insightful review - much appreciated! Cheers.
Yes batch variation is wonderful. I'm sure many casual whisky fans appreciate consistency but for us more experienced enthusiasts a little novelty and variety keeps things fun 👍 the occasional batch that's not quite as good as the others is just the price we pay. Hope you enjoy yours when you open it. Cheers 🥃
Hello😃 Nice Review as always. I had a few Laphroaigs but the CS Versions (OB or IB) have always delivered and never disapointed. Especially the Williamsons i had. Greetings from Germany 😎🤘
Thanks for the great review and perspective. Like the comparison to older batches instead of doing a solely review on the particular batch. It’s one of the CS bottlings I regularly (not every single release) purchase. Others are Glendronach, Glengoyne and GlenAllachie 10…and Ardnamurchan will probably be another one to buy regularly.
Thanks! I have some older batches of 10CS on the shelf that I will probably review one day. Not sure how many people will actually be interested but I think it'll be interesting to see the difference over a longer timescale. I think my oldest remaining batch is #6 from 2014. It is a lot of fun to keep up with batch products every year. You probably have some really interesting info in your tasting notes on those releases you mentioned (if you make them). I do have an older batch of GlenAllachie 10CS that I've been really enjoying. Extreme sherry to the point where it's almost meta whisky! But I enjoy it. I think mine is batch 5... I intended to review it as soon as I bought it... but you know what they say about best laid plans... Cheers 🥃
Thanks, mate, I bought the Batch 15 with regard to your tasting. These 10YO CS's are well expensive in Australia and the stock disappears at almost Springbank velocity. I paid a vaguely sane price, so that's OK. Needless to say, E150a in such a bottling is an insult (I didn't need to say that...). Loving your channel, Mr Lock.
Thanks Buddy. Glad you could get one. Availability of these is actually pretty good here. Surprisingly good because most other special releases sell out quickly these days. So it's a nice change... even if the colour is suspicious! Cheers 🥃
Great review buddy. Even though I have become quite a fanboy of Laphroaig of late, I have yet to own a bottle of the cask strength, I tried two different batches side by side with one being pretty stunning and the other tasting overly sour which slowed down my intrigue. You got me once again looking for one on offer somewhere. Cheers.
Thanks Jeff! I do wonder if the one you liked was one of the sweeter batches and the one you describe as sour might be one of the edgier, grippier ones that I prefer 😬 Personally I think they're all at least really good though. Especially on offer which does happen. Cheers 🥃
Bought this earlier this year and is my first cask strength for $70 US, which is on offer near me when they are normally priced at $90 US or more at Big Box retail stores. I'm strongly considering buying a back up bottle as it's hard to imagine seeing Laphroaig 10CS being priced that low ever again.
I think Laphroaig 10CS is a great choice to stock up (sensibly) on. When money is tight or there's nothing good available you can crack it open and know you're getting a solid whisky 👍
I've found an awesome u named Laphroaig that's has no added colour and it's really good also it's only £40 and 50%, hart brothers peated, it made me laugh when I first saw the colour a light white wine compared to the 10cs, I really liked batch 15 also 13 is a favor of mine,
Yeah I have a bottle of Carn Mor Williamson that I recently opened. Not entirely typical Laphroaig style but very good! But the colour is like a pale straw. Far, far paler than anything we get from Laphroaig!
@@WhiskyLock I didn't say Carn more Williamson I said hart brothers peated, it's Laphroaig declassified and it's natural colour non chill filtered 50% alcohol and £40, only 2 places have it in stock the whisky barrel and I think whisky international, You will definitely like it and it's worth buying just to see natural colour Laphroaig, also £40 is a bargain especially at 50% which I think is the volume whisky bottlers should bring it down to not 46%
Laphroaig 10 regular is my favourite whisky, although Wee Beastie may be a tad better, but I’ve only had 1 bottle…. I’ve got my Christmas bottle now and in Canada we get the 43% version, so that’s good. They are a traditional company that doesn’t change much, which is a positive, but that also causes them to keep colouring the spirit unfortunately. However, ironically the flavour is still incredibly raw and independent, so it is what it is…🎉
Great to hear how super good this one is. For me though I’m done. They’re just too expensive to justify for me. It’s now 130 USD in my area. These used to be $88 usd pre 2020.
I can understand that. The price for these has gone up a bit for us here in the UK but not as much as some other releases. Being priced out of whisky that you used to enjoy sucks!
I have a short video coming out tomorrow about this but I think they're both great! I personally prefer #15 but those who want maximum saltiness and prefer a more dry and edgy dram will probably prefer 16.
i have a question 🙋 . How many bottles of scotch do you keep open at once? If it's anything more than 5 bottles, do you worry about their 1 or 2 year shelf life?
Great question. Valid concern IMHO. How many bottles do I have open? Right now? Too many!! 😂 but that's only because I'm reviewing on UA-cam and often need to open things for comparison. Before I was doing UA-cam I tried to only have a couple open at a time. I think with high strength whisky you can often get more than 2years before flavour suffers. You're always rolling the dice keeping open bottles long term though. More so with very old and/or low ABV whisky. It's heartbreaking when a beloved dram loses its magic...
@@RebMordechaiReviews i havent tried 10 yo bottle but i have tried Quater Cask before which i liked. My friend recently bought it to me as gift now i can try it again. Ardbeg 10yo and port charlotte 10 i have really enjoyed plus OLC, PMC and MC from cask exploration series.
Now is a great time to take the plunge! Batch 15 and 16 are both superb. I'd probably recommend 15 to start with as it's a great all rounder. Beautiful intensity but perfectly balanced. While Quarter Cask is very good and much better than the 40% stuff, the 10CS is yet another clear step up. Enjoy!
I agree with you whole heartedly about the iconic'ish status that the Laphroaig 10 CS has become. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Quarter Cask followed by 10 Sherry release. I got into CS starting at batch 13 and yes that was a bit of a let down but 14, and 15 have been really good. It sounds like 16 is another good one to look out for. I will keep an eye out for this one. Cheers Shane!
I've been enjoying going back to a bottle of Quarter Cask over the last few months. It's not on par with 10CS IMHO but it's a really solid whisky for a very good price 👍 I liked the 10 Sherry wood too but the 10 Cask Strength is king 👑 🙂 Cheers 🥃
It does seem like it's been a while since we had a 10CS! Yes I think both batch 15 and 16 are proper medicinal peaty Laphroaigs. Much better IMHO than the milder 13 and 14. Wonderful stuff 🥃
I didn't say Carn mor Williamson I said hart brothers peated, it's Laphroaig declassified and it's natural colour non chill filtered 50% alcohol and £40, only 2 places have it in stock the whisky barrel and I think whisky international, You will definitely like it and it's worth buying just to see natural colour Laphroaig, also £40 is a bargain especially at 50% which I think is the volume whisky bottlers should bring it down to not 46%
I know. What I meant was that I had a similar experience with Williamson being far lighter in colour. In fact every IB Laphroaig I've had has been. It seems to be only Laphroaig themselves that think a bourbon matured whisky needs to look like it's been in first fill sherry... I'll keep an eye out for Hart Brothers. Cheers 🥃
On the back of the bottles of Laphroaig batch 16 sold in Germany it clearly says 'mit farbstoff'... Unfortunately they carry the damn candy. Best regards.
Thanks for keeping us up to date with Laphroaig!
I look forward to trying this one.
Thanks Sascha. Glad to report that it's another good one 👍
Thanks for shining yet again a light on the Laphroaig 10CS, Shane.
Haven't had this one...but maybe I'll pick it up next time I'm on Islay.
Slàinte mhath
Would be rude not to when you're there 😉 Cheers 🥃
Just got Batch 15 yesterday. My first cask strength Laphroaig - delicious! Something I've been wanting to try for years. Initially, I had ordered Batch 16, but my order had to be canceled because it wouldn't ship to the United States. Thanks for the review and cheers!
You've started with one of the best IMHO. Enjoy! 👍
Nice one Lock, I loved batch 10 and 12, so seeing you haven't had a Laphroaig melt down I might make this my peated malt for December ( hope you saw what I did there being still August) 🙂
😂 a great dram for any month of the year!
Still waiting to buy a bottle of this. Great review, Cheers!
Hope you find one! Cheers
Good luck keeping this back till the next batch! Thanks for the review, I have enjoyed every release of the CS I have had the pleasure of tasting. Cheers!
It may well be a challenge 😉 Cheers 🥃
Another great review, with really valuable context. Cheers.
Thank you! 🥃
Great review as always and good value for money all things considered.
I haven’t seen batch 16 yet but will likely grab ONE!
Cheers 🥃
Cheers John. Yes I think it is good value for money. £74 isn't cheap but I was thinking yesterday what else you can get that's Cask Strength and Islay for a similar price.... there aren't many options! So I'm glad we get these 10CS batches from Laphroaig 👍 look forward to your thoughts when you get one 🥃
Good one, Shane. My bottle has just arrived and I haven't opened it yet but, like you, I look forward each year to the latest release to see how the batch fares. That's another positive which is perhaps worth mentioning - the batches do vary from year to year (or release to release) - which shows off another natural aspect of releases of this kind to both the whisky novice and the dedicated drinker alike. Yep, it's a pity that colouring is used, as the ex-bourbon casks used for maturation would not normally result in a slightly orange-coloured whisky (when will they ever learn?). Yet, at the end of the day, this series is maintaining generally high quality levels at - what is now - quite a reasonable price. Compared to some seemingly quirky Ardbeg special releases, there seems to be much more value and BFYB available here. Many thanks for the insightful review - much appreciated! Cheers.
Yes batch variation is wonderful. I'm sure many casual whisky fans appreciate consistency but for us more experienced enthusiasts a little novelty and variety keeps things fun 👍 the occasional batch that's not quite as good as the others is just the price we pay. Hope you enjoy yours when you open it. Cheers 🥃
Hello😃
Nice Review as always.
I had a few Laphroaigs but the CS Versions (OB or IB) have always delivered and never disapointed.
Especially the Williamsons i had.
Greetings from Germany 😎🤘
Yep those 10CS are always a great experience. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for 👍 Cheers 🥃
Thanks for the great review and perspective. Like the comparison to older batches instead of doing a solely review on the particular batch.
It’s one of the CS bottlings I regularly (not every single release) purchase. Others are Glendronach, Glengoyne and GlenAllachie 10…and Ardnamurchan will probably be another one to buy regularly.
Thanks! I have some older batches of 10CS on the shelf that I will probably review one day. Not sure how many people will actually be interested but I think it'll be interesting to see the difference over a longer timescale. I think my oldest remaining batch is #6 from 2014.
It is a lot of fun to keep up with batch products every year. You probably have some really interesting info in your tasting notes on those releases you mentioned (if you make them). I do have an older batch of GlenAllachie 10CS that I've been really enjoying. Extreme sherry to the point where it's almost meta whisky! But I enjoy it. I think mine is batch 5... I intended to review it as soon as I bought it... but you know what they say about best laid plans... Cheers 🥃
Thanks for the review. 10CS is a benchmark. On sale for 62,99€ / 0,7l in the Netherlands in February 2024. 🎉
10CS is a modern legend. And the occasional discounts you see are often too good to pass on 😌 Cheers 🥃
Thanks, mate, I bought the Batch 15 with regard to your tasting. These 10YO CS's are well expensive in Australia and the stock disappears at almost Springbank velocity. I paid a vaguely sane price, so that's OK. Needless to say, E150a in such a bottling is an insult (I didn't need to say that...). Loving your channel, Mr Lock.
Thanks Buddy. Glad you could get one. Availability of these is actually pretty good here. Surprisingly good because most other special releases sell out quickly these days. So it's a nice change... even if the colour is suspicious! Cheers 🥃
Great review buddy. Even though I have become quite a fanboy of Laphroaig of late, I have yet to own a bottle of the cask strength, I tried two different batches side by side with one being pretty stunning and the other tasting overly sour which slowed down my intrigue. You got me once again looking for one on offer somewhere. Cheers.
Thanks Jeff! I do wonder if the one you liked was one of the sweeter batches and the one you describe as sour might be one of the edgier, grippier ones that I prefer 😬 Personally I think they're all at least really good though. Especially on offer which does happen. Cheers 🥃
Bought this earlier this year and is my first cask strength for $70 US, which is on offer near me when they are normally priced at $90 US or more at Big Box retail stores. I'm strongly considering buying a back up bottle as it's hard to imagine seeing Laphroaig 10CS being priced that low ever again.
I think Laphroaig 10CS is a great choice to stock up (sensibly) on. When money is tight or there's nothing good available you can crack it open and know you're getting a solid whisky 👍
I’m just buying one in Vancouver. I will probably get 2 as they are hard to get here. It just arrived. $145 Canadian before taxes. 2 it is! Cheers!
A good one to stock up on 😌 Cheers 🥃
@@WhiskyLock I did Shane! It's an old friend, a delicious Laphroaig! Have an awesome day!! 🙂
I've found an awesome u named Laphroaig that's has no added colour and it's really good also it's only £40 and 50%, hart brothers peated, it made me laugh when I first saw the colour a light white wine compared to the 10cs,
I really liked batch 15 also 13 is a favor of mine,
Yeah I have a bottle of Carn Mor Williamson that I recently opened. Not entirely typical Laphroaig style but very good! But the colour is like a pale straw. Far, far paler than anything we get from Laphroaig!
@@WhiskyLock I didn't say Carn more Williamson I said hart brothers peated, it's Laphroaig declassified and it's natural colour non chill filtered 50% alcohol and £40, only 2 places have it in stock the whisky barrel and I think whisky international,
You will definitely like it and it's worth buying just to see natural colour Laphroaig, also £40 is a bargain especially at 50% which I think is the volume whisky bottlers should bring it down to not 46%
thanks for this!
Laphroaig 10 regular is my favourite whisky, although Wee Beastie may be a tad better, but I’ve only had 1 bottle…. I’ve got my Christmas bottle now and in Canada we get the 43% version, so that’s good. They are a traditional company that doesn’t change much, which is a positive, but that also causes them to keep colouring the spirit unfortunately. However, ironically the flavour is still incredibly raw and independent, so it is what it is…🎉
I'd love to get the 43% version of Laphroig and Highland Park here. I feel it would make those entry level bottles a serious option again. Cheers 🥃
Great to hear how super good this one is. For me though I’m done. They’re just too expensive to justify for me. It’s now 130 USD in my area. These used to be $88 usd pre 2020.
I can understand that. The price for these has gone up a bit for us here in the UK but not as much as some other releases. Being priced out of whisky that you used to enjoy sucks!
nice one Shane 👍
Cheers Andy 🥃
Great one as always👍
And if to decide between batch 15 and 16, which one is a better one to go with?
I have a short video coming out tomorrow about this but I think they're both great! I personally prefer #15 but those who want maximum saltiness and prefer a more dry and edgy dram will probably prefer 16.
@@WhiskyLock fantastic. And many thanks for reverting:)
i have a question 🙋 . How many bottles of scotch do you keep open at once? If it's anything more than 5 bottles, do you worry about their 1 or 2 year shelf life?
Great question. Valid concern IMHO.
How many bottles do I have open? Right now? Too many!! 😂 but that's only because I'm reviewing on UA-cam and often need to open things for comparison.
Before I was doing UA-cam I tried to only have a couple open at a time. I think with high strength whisky you can often get more than 2years before flavour suffers. You're always rolling the dice keeping open bottles long term though. More so with very old and/or low ABV whisky. It's heartbreaking when a beloved dram loses its magic...
I have been thinking to buy 10 CS bottle long time but havent got around doing it. I keep doubting is it good or not. Suppose now is time to do it!
@@RebMordechaiReviews i havent tried 10 yo bottle but i have tried Quater Cask before which i liked. My friend recently bought it to me as gift now i can try it again. Ardbeg 10yo and port charlotte 10 i have really enjoyed plus OLC, PMC and MC from cask exploration series.
Now is a great time to take the plunge! Batch 15 and 16 are both superb. I'd probably recommend 15 to start with as it's a great all rounder. Beautiful intensity but perfectly balanced.
While Quarter Cask is very good and much better than the 40% stuff, the 10CS is yet another clear step up. Enjoy!
I agree with you whole heartedly about the iconic'ish status that the Laphroaig 10 CS has become. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Quarter Cask followed by 10 Sherry release. I got into CS starting at batch 13 and yes that was a bit of a let down but 14, and 15 have been really good. It sounds like 16 is another good one to look out for. I will keep an eye out for this one. Cheers Shane!
I've been enjoying going back to a bottle of Quarter Cask over the last few months. It's not on par with 10CS IMHO but it's a really solid whisky for a very good price 👍 I liked the 10 Sherry wood too but the 10 Cask Strength is king 👑 🙂 Cheers 🥃
thank you! finally it's out. is the laphroaig iodine character presented upfront? or rather laid back compare to batch 12?
It does seem like it's been a while since we had a 10CS! Yes I think both batch 15 and 16 are proper medicinal peaty Laphroaigs. Much better IMHO than the milder 13 and 14. Wonderful stuff 🥃
I didn't say Carn mor Williamson I said hart brothers peated, it's Laphroaig declassified and it's natural colour non chill filtered 50% alcohol and £40, only 2 places have it in stock the whisky barrel and I think whisky international,
You will definitely like it and it's worth buying just to see natural colour Laphroaig, also £40 is a bargain especially at 50% which I think is the volume whisky bottlers should bring it down to not 46%
I know. What I meant was that I had a similar experience with Williamson being far lighter in colour. In fact every IB Laphroaig I've had has been. It seems to be only Laphroaig themselves that think a bourbon matured whisky needs to look like it's been in first fill sherry...
I'll keep an eye out for Hart Brothers. Cheers 🥃
🥃👍🏻😁
On the back of the bottles of Laphroaig batch 16 sold in Germany it clearly says 'mit farbstoff'... Unfortunately they carry the damn candy. Best regards.
😣 Laphroaig really are reluctant to give us a quality presentation. Such a shame! Thanks for the info 🥃