Watt Whisky North British 35yo 1991 & Watt Whisky Laphroaig 12yo 2014

Watt Whisky North British 35yo 1991

Region: Lowlands

ABV: 48.3%

Price: £103.00

Distilled at North British Distillery in 1991 and bottled by Watt Whisky in 2026 after 35 years of maturation, this single grain whisky was drawn as a partial bottling from a butt. The release produced just 126 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with lime juice and vanilla cupcakes, with a little pepper spice showing the ABV. Saying that the alcohol is nicely balanced. Plain ready salted crisps follow alongside a hint of petrol, lemon peel and wood varnish.

Palate

The palate opens with lemon juice, brown sugar and fudge, followed by dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, butterscotch and tablet. These sweeter notes intertwine with a light pepper spice towards the medium length finish. The mouthfeel is good, with a slightly syrupy texture.

Nose (with water)

The nose still has that hint of petrol and lime after dilution, although they’re now partially covered by a pine note. The other aromas we found before adding water remain on show and the alcohol continues to be well integrated.

Palate (with water)

Water concentrates the sweetness and brings out whipped cream and crème brûlée. The mouthfeel has become a little more syrupy too, while the finish remains medium in length with a light pepper spice.

Conclusion

This isn’t the most complex whisky, but there’s plenty to enjoy. The palate is the star of the show with great flavour and texture. It’s just a shame the nose doesn’t quite match up. Simple, but good.

Score: 7/10

Value

At £103 for a 35yo single grain, this feels like good value.

Watt Whisky Laphroaig 12yo 2014

Region: Islay

ABV: 57.1%

Price: £73.00

Distilled at Laphroaig in 2014 and bottled by Watt Whisky in 2026 after 12 years of maturation, this single-cask release was matured in a hogshead and produced 330 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with pork scratchings, tar, TCP and dry-roasted peanuts. There’s a little alcohol spice, but it’s well balanced at this strength. Dried earth, smoky bacon and sea spray follow. Good, but noticeably less cask sweetness than we were expecting.

Palate

The palate continues in the same savoury direction, with barbecued sardines, dried earth and bonfire smoke. Like the nose, it’s less sweet than we expected, although caramel and sugar syrup provide enough sweetness to keep everything in balance. Lavender and Twiglets appear alongside peat, before a little too much pepper spice appears on the medium-length finish. The mouthfeel is decent, but we’ve had better.

Nose (with water)

Dilution takes away a little of the meatiness and smoke, replacing them with warehouse funk, more peanuts, citrus, chlorine and ash. The other notes from before dilution remain, although the dram feels less distinctly Laphroaig than it did neat.

Palate (with water)

There’s more lavender and musk on the palate now, while both the sweetness and smoke have been dialled back. Ash has become much more prominent and the spice has reduced. The mouthfeel has held up well, but the overall combination is now oddly earthy and murky, a bit like drinking a muddy puddle.

Conclusion

This is a solid Laphroaig that leans heavily towards the savoury, coastal and earthy side of the distillery rather than cask sweetness. The combination of tar, TCP, smoked meat and sea spray works well when neat, with just enough sweetness to provide balance, although the pepper spice is a little excessive on the finish. Water reduces the spice, but it also takes away some of the smoke and meatiness and leaves the whisky feeling muddier and less interesting. We’d avoid water in this one. 

Score: 7/10

Value

At £73 for a 12yo cask-strength Laphroaig, this feels pretty well priced.

• 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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