Totally agree with your review and tasting notes Geoff. I visited the distillery last Thursday and having tried lots of great releases on the day, (including generous warehouse tastings straight from the cask), this was the one that stood out and certainly represented best value for money on the day for me at £80. There was a stunning 19yr Fino matured, (or possibly finished), CS distillery release that was the best on the day, but at £325 a bottle, the Cairdeas 2023 was the one I bought home with me. 🙂🥃
LOVE this Caìrdeas, probably due to the balance of sweet and peat. Thanks for the review. Went through one earlier in the year, got another, then due to the desire to have it for the future I got two more in February 2024 before it was gone from the shelves. Btw, as good as it tastes early in the bottle, the flavors seem to open up further down. Cheers!
This was a great dram! Shame it's not offered here. I also see a very familiar looking whisky in the background - very much looking forward to that review as well! :)
Very nice review. I have the 2023 and the 2022. I really like both, but for different reasons. The 2022 is very traditional with nice forward peat (you were spot on, Geoff). As you state, the 2023 is fruity and, for me, a bit floral. This is also very nice. It nice to have some variation, while still being familiar.
Great review Geoff. I am excited as the one and only Cairdeas I managed to get a bottle of. I love the QC, 10 CS releases so this one will surely hit the spot for me. Thanks 🙏
This was one of my favorite whiskies of 2023. I tell people that it's Laphroaig +. That is Laphroaig plus crisp summer fruit like grapes and apples. The peaty Laphroaig is still there but now it's being complimented by additional flavors and complexity. I bought a backup bottle and then finished my first and had to buy a backup to my backup. It's that good and in my area, New York, this is a $119. Yup, still worth it even at that price. Sadly Barry McAffer is already gone so this Cairdeas and the Elements might be all we get from his very interesting time in charge
Nice review. This one sounds quite nice. Personally I haven't had a Cairdeas for some years now, but I still have a few drams left in my Madeira finish from 2016 (opened in 2023). Of all the Cairdeas I've tasted, quite a few, the Port wood from 2013 is my absolute favourite.
So many excellent Laphroaigs. 10 Sherry Oak, Portwood, Lore, the list goes on. You just have to pretend there’s no artificial coloring. 😂 but they’re excellent!
Damn it I forgot about the rules of whisky friendship 😂 I think it's the white port for me because I similarly did not enjoy the recent Glen Scotia 9 white port cask expression. Cheers Geoff see you on the next Cairdeas!
You sure the plural is not Cargeai? The linguist in me is laughing like crazy 😂 Ok, as far as Laphroaig goes - that's certainly one to get. good to know!
Great review, I have been considering this bottle and will probably pick it up. Have you tried the 2023 talisker special release finished in the three port casks? I am really enjoying it
Love the humor in your rewievs. By the way did you say? :if you are Oban to experimentation.. (9.20). Personaly I realy like Laphroig. The 10 cask strength is marvelous and the quarter cask is a price banger. Unfortunately I have some bad eksperience with my Laphroig,s going "tame" over time when opened. Especialy the quarter cask version. Normaly I do find my whiskys to improve when eksposed to time/air. Thank you for your always intertaining and informative rewievs. I think it is important that we can bring a little humor and self-irony into our sometimes too super serious hobby
Pretty sure the Cairdeas releases ARE natural color. At least previous Cairdeas releases including the Warehouse 1 have been, stated by the distillery manager, though not written on the label. The cask strength 10, quarter cask, and standard 10, I’m sorry to say, do have coloring added.
I really quite like Laphroaig, but gotta say this did not rock my boat. To me it lacked punch, as opposed to the Sherry Oak, which is my go-to Laphi these days and it did not add up to me but felt somewhat subtractive (guess I hate you now). It's a nice dram, but considering they used old barrels from a previous Cairdeas and made so much of it they sold it off at 30% off from the €95 suggested retail for a while, I find it overpriced. I bought it again for €65 and sold off the expensive bottle and for the lower price I can live with it, but would not rebuy. I'll take a batch strength or Sherry Oak over this any day, except perhaps on a really hot summer day, when this would work really well on a ton of ice 😂❤.
😆 i will say that still having a Warehouse 1 has kept me from picking up the White Port/Madeira release. The W1 has gone through some changes, great early on, then going quite sour after a few months. As Geoff mentioned, it's nice that the distillate had no real exotic cask influence to hide behind. Just bourbon matured Laphroaig from a single location. I respect that.
I thought Geoff was going to say form Voltron. The Captain Planet made me smile. I’m going pass on this one. By me this Cairdeas is $120 usd before tax. I passed on it. May do it if it ever goes on sale.
and then there's me who doesn't care about pronunciation, but does care about what the word actually means, and its relevance to whisky... answer: it means "friendship," so nothing really.
One of my favorites as well with couple backups…
Cheers 🥃
Yeah it's a beauty! Cheers! 🥃
You somehow pronounced it differently every time, yet correctly every time. Well done!
My favoorite )))) Cairdeas -- Cardio juice )))) Cheers !!
I'm relieved that we can still be friends 😅 Well integrated indeed. Great video 🥃
Totally agree with your review and tasting notes Geoff.
I visited the distillery last Thursday and having tried lots of great releases on the day, (including generous warehouse tastings straight from the cask), this was the one that stood out and certainly represented best value for money on the day for me at £80.
There was a stunning 19yr Fino matured, (or possibly finished), CS distillery release that was the best on the day, but at £325 a bottle, the Cairdeas 2023 was the one I bought home with me. 🙂🥃
LOVE this Caìrdeas, probably due to the balance of sweet and peat. Thanks for the review. Went through one earlier in the year, got another, then due to the desire to have it for the future I got two more in February 2024 before it was gone from the shelves. Btw, as good as it tastes early in the bottle, the flavors seem to open up further down. Cheers!
Interesting wine finish. I love madeira, but i never had whisky finished in madeira cask. Thanks for video 📸
Madeira makes for a nice touch, usually, as does white port. They don't tend to dominate the distillate like other types of wine/port finishes. 🥃
Geoff You should do a video of why you are in Taiwan while showing us what whiskey shopping looks like over there.
This was a great dram! Shame it's not offered here. I also see a very familiar looking whisky in the background - very much looking forward to that review as well! :)
Very nice review. I have the 2023 and the 2022. I really like both, but for different reasons. The 2022 is very traditional with nice forward peat (you were spot on, Geoff). As you state, the 2023 is fruity and, for me, a bit floral. This is also very nice. It nice to have some variation, while still being familiar.
Great review Geoff. I am excited as the one and only Cairdeas I managed to get a bottle of. I love the QC, 10 CS releases so this one will surely hit the spot for me. Thanks 🙏
I really love mine. I also can't find it in my market so I only seldom go for that bottle, I simply don't want it to end.
Hah same! 🥃
Terrific thoughts Geoff! Much appreciated!
Thanks Christine! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Hey Geoff brilliant minds think alike!! Lol! Cheers! 🙂
Looking forward to your 2024 Cairdeas review! I just killed a bottle! I enjoyed it a lot!!
This was one of my favorite whiskies of 2023. I tell people that it's Laphroaig +. That is Laphroaig plus crisp summer fruit like grapes and apples. The peaty Laphroaig is still there but now it's being complimented by additional flavors and complexity. I bought a backup bottle and then finished my first and had to buy a backup to my backup. It's that good and in my area, New York, this is a $119. Yup, still worth it even at that price. Sadly Barry McAffer is already gone so this Cairdeas and the Elements might be all we get from his very interesting time in charge
Wow, looking forward to find one of these. Thanks Geoff!
. Laphroaig, the whisky distiller that I always enjoy having if it is shared with me, or if it is at a bar, but don't have any desire to own a bottle.
That's fair. 🥃
Lovely review! Will need to seak this one out now thanks to the review…
The plants in the back are raving 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Sounds like a good summer whisky.
Nice review. This one sounds quite nice. Personally I haven't had a Cairdeas for some years now, but I still have a few drams left in my Madeira finish from 2016 (opened in 2023). Of all the Cairdeas I've tasted, quite a few, the Port wood from 2013 is my absolute favourite.
Nice review Geoff, good to have you back on line!
Haha cheers buddy! 🥃
Not cheap my in market (Canada...), but I like it very much. I agree = one of my favorite laphroaig!
I do want to try this. I just pre-ordered the 2024 release
Cairdeas and 10cs are the only Laphroaig OBS worth buying these days
So many excellent Laphroaigs. 10 Sherry Oak, Portwood, Lore, the list goes on. You just have to pretend there’s no artificial coloring. 😂 but they’re excellent!
I’m thrilled that you like it!
One of my favourites from the brand. Thanks again, buddy! 🥃
Interesting. Still waiting for this in the local store.
However I did try Laphroaig Elements 1.0. Delicious and my favorite laphroaig I’ve had.
I'll be on the lookout for that one! 🥃
@@GwhiskyI mean for the price I’m still buying the quarter cask tho. But the most smoky laphroaig I’ve had. Lovely.
Cairdii
Hahah the whisky friend hate is classic Geoff
Damn it I forgot about the rules of whisky friendship 😂 I think it's the white port for me because I similarly did not enjoy the recent Glen Scotia 9 white port cask expression. Cheers Geoff see you on the next Cairdeas!
Hah see you then, my friend.
*Can I still say that?
Btw loved the Glen Scotia 11 White Port. 😉🥃
@@Gwhisky ah my bad I meant the 9 Fino of this year, I have not tried the 11 white port and yes we are still friends 😃
You sure the plural is not Cargeai?
The linguist in me is laughing like crazy 😂
Ok, as far as Laphroaig goes - that's certainly one to get. good to know!
Great review, I have been considering this bottle and will probably pick it up. Have you tried the 2023 talisker special release finished in the three port casks? I am really enjoying it
Nevermind seeing you did a review. About to pour myself a dram and watch it. Cheers!
Love the humor in your rewievs.
By the way did you say? :if you are Oban to experimentation.. (9.20).
Personaly I realy like Laphroig. The 10 cask strength is marvelous and the quarter cask is a price banger.
Unfortunately I have some bad eksperience with my Laphroig,s going "tame" over time when opened. Especialy the quarter cask version. Normaly I do find my whiskys to improve when eksposed to time/air.
Thank you for your always intertaining and informative rewievs.
I think it is important that we can bring a little humor and self-irony into our sometimes too super serious hobby
Pretty sure the Cairdeas releases ARE natural color. At least previous Cairdeas releases including the Warehouse 1 have been, stated by the distillery manager, though not written on the label.
The cask strength 10, quarter cask, and standard 10, I’m sorry to say, do have coloring added.
Yeah I believe you're right. This and the Warehouse 1 don't look coloured. 🥃
Kind of curious if Jack Inthestates is related to Jack Inthebox
Cousins, I believe. 🥃
Because it’s not typical Laphroaig, I can see why it’s so divisive. Personally, I’m in the “I love it” camp. Cheers 🥃
Glad to hear it! Me too! 🥃
I really quite like Laphroaig, but gotta say this did not rock my boat. To me it lacked punch, as opposed to the Sherry Oak, which is my go-to Laphi these days and it did not add up to me but felt somewhat subtractive (guess I hate you now). It's a nice dram, but considering they used old barrels from a previous Cairdeas and made so much of it they sold it off at 30% off from the €95 suggested retail for a while, I find it overpriced. I bought it again for €65 and sold off the expensive bottle and for the lower price I can live with it, but would not rebuy. I'll take a batch strength or Sherry Oak over this any day, except perhaps on a really hot summer day, when this would work really well on a ton of ice 😂❤.
I don't think even the people at Laphroaig know how to pronounce the Gaelic name that they picked for their own whisky 😄
1:38 -- really? I haven't heard of anyone being a fan of Warehouse I... Interesting.
😆 i will say that still having a Warehouse 1 has kept me from picking up the White Port/Madeira release.
The W1 has gone through some changes, great early on, then going quite sour after a few months. As Geoff mentioned, it's nice that the distillate had no real exotic cask influence to hide behind. Just bourbon matured Laphroaig from a single location. I respect that.
It’s pronounced cheech-boidssch-doysch
I thought Geoff was going to say form Voltron. The Captain Planet made me smile. I’m going pass on this one. By me this Cairdeas is $120 usd before tax. I passed on it. May do it if it ever goes on sale.
and then there's me who doesn't care about pronunciation, but does care about what the word actually means, and its relevance to whisky... answer: it means "friendship," so nothing really.
You are exactly 1 year late. Cairdeas 2024 is available since yesterday 😅
😂😂😂
like the 2022 version better. It is non-chill filtered!