SMWS 29.96 Scorched and Smouldering (Laphroaig 12yo)

SMWS 29.96 Scorched and Smouldering (Laphroaig 12yo)

Region: Islay

ABV: 58.8%

Price: £132.00 (Auction)

Distilled in April 1998 and fully matured in a refill ex bourbon hogshead, this Scotch Malt Whisky Society single cask was bottled at 12 years with an outturn of 276 bottles.

Nose

The nose is initially tight, but with patience we can tease out a funky note of cheesy feet we’d rather not. There’s also marzipan, coconut, chocolate almonds, squirty cheese, salted popcorn, orange, and light peat smoke. There is no real alcohol spice given the ABV. It’s pretty tame on the nose for a Laphroaig, and if we’re being honest it has far from our favourite nose on a whisky.

Palate

The palate delivers a much better hit of peat. The mouthfeel is solid, though we have had better. Beyond the peat, we find caramel sauce, milk chocolate, orange rind, and pomegranate. Pistachios and marshmallows appear on the medium finish, alongside a touch of white pepper spice. Honestly given the nose we weren’t expecting much from the palate, but fortunately the palate doesn’t have that funk, and has a good hit of sweetness and peat.

Nose (with water)

Water brings out tar, sulphur, fizzy orange Fanta, and Cherry Lips, all joining the pre-dilution notes. It is still not as peated as we were expecting, and there is now a little spice on the nose that was not present before dilution. On the plus side the funky note we didn’t enjoy is starting to fade as it sits in the glass.

Palate (with water)

Water has slightly diminished the mouthfeel and made the dram sweeter, though there is still plenty of peat here. Liquorice now appears on the finish along with a bit more pepper spice, but the spice is still not off putting. The finish remains medium in length.

Conclusion

It’s always interesting to try these older bottles, but they don’t always land as expected. This is one we initially had very little hope for, as the pre-dilution nose was tough. Fortunately, the palate delivered exactly what we wanted, and, better still, a few drops of water really helped the nose without detracting from the palate. Overall, it’s a very good dram, slightly let down by the nose.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Being an auction purchase and £130ish pound we can’t really say that it’s a bargain, but we do enjoy trying these older whiskies.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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