SMWS 29.268 - Laphroaig 22yo

Whisky: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 29.268 - Laphroaig 22yo

Region: Islay

ABV: 50.0%

Price: £225

A 22 year old Laphroaig that was matured for 20 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a second-fill PX hogshead for the remainder of its maturation. This was bottled as part of the society’s Fèis Ile 2020 celebrations.

Nose

After an initial hit of malt you find yourself transferred to a rainy day on Islay. There’s some subtle red fruits in the background, and a hint of cinnamon and cloves. Some perfumed floral notes hit you before you find yourself sitting in a leather armchair at a freshly polished wooden desk. Woah, we could nose this all day.

Palate

Red currant jam, cherries, and homemade vanilla custard. There is a hint of peat, but it's hiding behind the sweeter notes. Finish is a tad short. It’s understandable why the society didn’t want to categorise this as peated.

Nose and Palate (with water)

A seaweed saltiness appears on the nose alongside the red fruits and malty notes becoming more pronounced. The sweeter notes move to the forefront on the palate.

Conclusion

An incredible nose on this. Sadly the palate falls a little short. The hint of peat is well integrated with the sweeter notes, but the finish is shorter that we’d like and this lets it down slightly. Still at RRP it’s a 8/10, but at current secondary market prices it’s just not worth it.

Score: 8/10

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

Have you tried SMWS 29.268 - Laphroaig 22yo? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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