Laphraoig (10 year)

First tasted this scotch about 25 years ago. I couldn't believe it. This was the whiskey I'd been looking for. This is truly sipping whiskey. Neat only, no ice, heaven forbid any water. Laphraoig grabs you with its amazing flavor, it wakes up your senses, then it mellows, it warms, it slides. This is the scotch they drink in heaven. If a bar or restaurant doesn't have it, I'll take an Oban or another Isley scotch but I always come back to Laphraoig. There is nothing like it. It is perfect. Real women drink Laphraoig!

I've been a bourbon drinker for a good while, and turned up my nose at at scotch "whisky" and its pretentious aficionados. That's because the scotch I started with was Cutty Sark. After sipping Knob Creek, Cutty Sark tasted a bit watery. If I want water, I figured, I'll put my mouth on the kitchen tap. Then I stumbled onto Laphraoig. Peat and smoke and salt and the sea -- that's what I was looking for when I started sampling scotch, and Laphraoig. The first "chew" nearly knocked me over, took my breath. By the time I got to the end of my first dram, I knew I had something special, and for about the same price as my favorite bourbon. Laphraoig may not turn me away from my Kentucky-bred whiskey, but I think I'll spend a bit more time enjoying a remarkable dram from Islay.

This scotch has a piquant nose of Durante when you first smell it. The heady notes of octopus, radium, and Handel fade into the subtle hints of moose and Lay's Potato Chips, giving way to the long finish of Lollapalooza... Well, enough of the pretentious gobblety-gook nonsense of "wine-speak." This has been my favorite scotch for over 30 years. Not recommended for women and sissies.

While this 10 yr old is less refined than it's Laphroaig brothers it still rates a solid 4. How they do it I do not know, but the balance between crispness and a slightly oily texture both come together on your tongue. A comfortable level of peppery smoke, slightly medicinal without being overbearing, and a finish that is both bright and earthy at the same time. The oily earthiness lingers for a very long vanilla/honey finish with a hint of pepper.

I've been drinking scotch for over 20 years, mostly blended bar brands. So I'm no connoisseur by any means. Lately however I have been wanting to try more single malts. I came across this site by accident and started reading the reviews. I was very intrigued by the reviews of Laphraoig and decided to buy a bottle. ($51 US here in Georgia). After my first taste, I thought I would fall into the "Hate It" category but, after drinking some Johnny Walker Red the next day, I found that it tasted very bland in comparison. I found that I was craving the Laphraoig taste again. This scotch is very, very smoky with a heavy Iodine taste. I think it would be very easy to acquire a taste for this brand. I'm curious as to how the Ardbeg will compare to Laphraoig. It was slightly more expensive here at around $96 US.

A pretty good single malt. I could find a better single malt for significantly less than Laphroag though. A little too oily for my palate. Worth trying, but I would never buy a bottle. This one is definitely worth paying the primo price for a dram at a pub to find out whether or not it is for you.

This single-malt has a powerful aroma and tastes of peat and the sea.  For some it might be a little bit too powerful -- as other reviewers have mentioned there is an iodine note in the flavor.  But those strong, smokey and unique flavors are what make single-malts worthwhile.  If you want something smoother there is always blended scotch. My wife -- not a scotch drinker -- hates even the way the room smells after pouring some of this stuff. She jokingly mispronounces it "LaFrog".

Laphraoig is not a whiskey for the faint of heart. This is a real whiskey, filled with lasting flavor and a finish unlike any other. Ask ten people, get ten different reviews, but I will tell you it's strong, has a distinct iodine-ish odor with strong peat and oak flavors and is slightly salty. It is hands down the most robust, flavorful yet smooth finish whiskey I've ever had the pleasure of drinking.

Outstanding!!! Not for the novice scotch drinker, the Laphoraig 10yo Cask Strength is an incredible choice for the developed palate. As a cask strength, this whiskey should be cut first with a bit of pure water or ice. Drinking straight will overpower the palate and hide some of the more subtle flavors. As you smell and then taste this scotch, the first thing you'll note is smoke. Tonnes of smoke. But if you pay attention, you'll immediately note an intense citrus flavor. This will fade into an oaky flavor with hints of pepper and vanilla. These will fade as the honeys come out and continue through the long finish. Smoke will accompany the experience throughout. The flavors are beautifully intense and subtle all at the same time. A novice will only taste the smoke, and possibly the citrus. Once the palate is trained, however, the more subtle flavors will tease and entice you to the point where you'll find yourself thinking about it at odd moments. Be careful. This lady is... Read more

Smokey, peaty, smooth, delicious. Prefer the Ardbeg but you cannot go wrong with Laphraoig.

ACK! Give me diet coke bartender, I gotta put this fire out! What mindset do I need to enjoy this scotch, because right now I feel like I puffed the wrong end of my cigar.

As has been stated numerous times, this is not a beginners scotch. Still my favorite dram overall as far as scotch goes.

It's an acquired taste .. the first time you drink it, you wonder what you were thinking. The next time you realize it's kind of good. By the time you get to the bottom of the bottle, you're in love.

Distinctive taste and aroma, redolent of burnt peat with a tang of sea air.  Very much an acquired taste, but once acquired, never relinquished.

A very good scotch; I would give it 4.5 stars. It is very smoky, but there is a whole lot going on under the smoke. When I am craving Laphraoig, nothing else will do. Maybe the best bargain in alcohol.

The Laphraoig 10 Year Cask Strength: Powerful Smoke, you can smell it the instant you bring it to within a foot of your nose and the taste is even more smoky. Powerful Smoke, Peat, Brine and Ocean Salt with a grainy texture on the tongue. Yet right in the middle of all this power is the beauty of sweetness, amazing sweetness that contrasts perfectly with all that power. The 10 year cask strength is quite an amazing scotch with layers of complexity and flavor. No hints of medicine to my taste. At first I was overpowered by this scotch but as the months passed and I compared it to other scotches I found myself coming back to it and then longing for its flavor. I rank it superior to the McCallan 18 year and Highland Park 12 year even though both of these are amazing and very pleasing. But the 10 year cask strength has so much flavor and involvement that the others seem diluted by comparison now. I have yet to try Lagavulin, but right now the Laphraoig 10 year cask strength is my #1.

this is the way scotch is meant to be! outstanding with a good cigar!

Laphroaig 10 year? Love it. 15 year - actually for me it's a notch down. The 10 year Cask Strength is even better. "Love it or Hate it"? I guess I'm a "love it". /princeton/.

But too much peatfor me, try drowning my sister in it.

This is a Lagavulin wannabe. It lacks the luster and feels unfinished.

This is another great peaty entry from Islay, that blessed isle! It's full of peat and strong. It is a good Islay single malt choice. I call it "la frog" but I know that is wrong. I apologize to my many Gaelic friends.

You'll either love or hate this...I'd definitely recommend buying a glass before committing to a bottle. Has quite an iodine taste to it.

This is Islay Sinsle Malt.  The Westies, as the Islay region is called in Scotland, makes a very distinctive Scotch. Not for the faint of heart, this Scotch is full of flavour. In Flavour I mean, iodine, seaweed, heavy cloudy smoke from the peat, and at the end, a mellow maltiness. The Distillery is in very close proximity to the Atlantic, and the aging whisky is kissed by the sea salt. A very strong, and flavourful Scotch, it will not appeal to everyone as it has a most distinguished medicinal taste. This is Islay Scotch. Do I Like it? Not at all. I'll stick to Bowmore which is made on Isaly. I'll sum this up by saying that Laphraoig  tastes like nuclear run off. Just not my cup of tea.

Simply an amazing scotch. My first 'decent' scotch, and I cannot stop coming back to it. The peaty, smoky aroma has some incredible 'taste' to it without being pointlessly harsh. Beyond the peat though, there are many other crisp tastes and aromas to explore after you get used to it. I would suggest this to be served as a double with no more than three cubes of ice. Curiously, I find the Laphroig 10 year to be a more enjoyable and more flavoursome drink than the 15 years, though that's just my feeling on the matter, and I have only tried the 15 whilst rather drunk already. Over the space of a year, this one lovely scotch has turned me from a 'two drinks on a weekend' person to a solidly grounded alcoholic. I must have thrown easily two or three thousand Aussie dollars at this one. Stubbornly, I believe that to be a completely fruitful splashing of money.

If you like peat smoke, you'll love this one. One of the few spirits with an aroma that spreads far beyond the glass.

You'll either love it, or hate it. I love it!

Not for the occasional scotch drinker. If you want to move up a level from blended scotch and big smoke flavor is not a turn-off by all means give this a try. An old friend of mine's (40+ years) girl friend brought a bottle of this and some good cigars to a beach-side get together. I love that girl! This scotch is over-the-top compared to most scotch whisky but with that cigar it was nirvanna!

Super smokey, peaty, and more than a tad medicinal. It finishes with a sweet oak and slightly briney taste. This is for the 10 year Cask Strength.

I don't consider myself a complete novice whiskey drinker, but either this is too "sophisticated" for me or it's just nasty. I'm thinking the latter. If my local government alcoholic control board hadn't stopped carrying Aberlour I'd be drinking that now (sigh). It's not so much the smokey, peaty flavor as the fact that the smoke flavors your BREATH afterwards. Ugh. If I want this aftertaste, I'll chew on some half-burnt sticks from the fire.

Heady, the nose alone can fill you with enjoyment that drinking a lesser brew does not. The most enjoyable drink to sip and savor. Do NOT add ice and use only a drop or two of water to release the heady aromas of peat and sea. Not for the faint of heart or the girlie drink connoisseur. Expensive but worth it.

Completely unique. You'll either love it or loathe it. It's just so different than anything else, but for me it's a great single malt. Smokey and peaty with a great aftertaste. It's one of the very few must try whiskies. If at first you don't like it, or are not sure, persevere and you'll grow to love it. Masterclass.

Of the 20 or so single malts I have had in recent years (I own 12)the only single malt I have had that I dislike is Laphraiog--iodine and bandages. I have tried it twice--gave it a second try--but not again. Hate to be negative, but I definitely am at the "hate it" end of the "love it or hate it" choice which you hear for Laphroig.

The ten year old Islay Malt is like Woody Allen, you'll either love it or hate it. The reason I love it is it has a honeyed sweetness on the palate and is complemented with a peppery finish. This briny scented gem is full - bodied and unapologetic in its straightforward approach. Reminiscent of the sea as your nose and palate are bombarded with seaweed and peat. It's a feral whiskey with no hope of being tamed. Age rounds this spirit, softening it while capturing its essence.

Not even close to the sophistication of Lagavulin. This is the most over-the-top smoky, almost undrinkable scotch I have ever had. You can not taste anything but smoke. If that is what you like, you will love it.

Tastes Like mouth wash.

4 stars if judged against its more sophisticated cousins, Lagavulin 16 and Bowmore 12. 5 starts against everything else. Simply put a younger more affordable Lagavulin 16.

Excellent. Make sure you drink plenty

I'm a novice Scotch drinker -- picked up the habit a little over a year ago -- but this is my favorite of the dozen or so I've tried thus far. That smokey peat sends a spasm of pleasure through my brain.

Smokey, tasty, can't beat it. Bowmore and Laphraoig make the best Islay around.

Best Scotch I've had.

For once I agree with someone's review here. Second only to Ardbeg is right on. The medicine coming through on the 10 year Laphraoig is just a little much for my taste. The 15 year is definitely a little more approachable. Either way, it's big big peat.

Second only to Ardbeg!

Simply put, this is a smokey beast. It has an earthy body and a long, clean nutty finish. Drink neat only. Only be very careful; you may never go back to your everyday single malt!

After a glass of this, you'll know you've had a good whisky. The earthy flavour is unique, unlike any other. Sip and enjoy, but be forewarned - it's an acquired taste.

There are just tow possilbe rates for this very special single malt form Islay: terrible or great. I find it great and great and GREAT. One of my favorites malts. But I can understand people find it terrible. Just heve to get used to this fantastic gift of het hard nature round Islay...

Certainly not for the novice whisky drinker, as can be said of any Islay whisky. SMoky, full-bodied, and mighty mighty tasty. The ads say it all...either you'll love it or hate it. There is no middle ground. I love it.

This is now my new favourite scotch. I've just had a few glasses and I've been raving about it to everyone. It is just so different. It is smooth, but with so much smoky flavour. It's quite expensive for a ten year old scotch, but after a taste you can understand why.