Name: Laphroaig Select
Type: Single Malt Whiskey
Origin: Islay, Scotland
ABV: 40%
Price: $58.99 from Matteson Liquors
As some of you may or may not know, should you follow me on Twitter, I am an active freelance musician. Once in awhile, my music gigs take me all over the Midwest. A few weeks back, I happened to be up in the Chicago area playing. After we finished up our set, the trumpet players I play with needed a ‘cold beverage’ (or three) to take back to the hotel. While browsing the selection of beer at the liquor store we stopped at, I decided to wander over to the whiskey isle. Honestly, this was more a curiosity than anything but it worked well to my favor: the selection of single-malts was quite strong. I ended up picking up a bottle of Laphroaig Select, as it was one that I had not been privy to yet. Cask Strength Laphroaig is the single most drank liquor in my house as it’s one that both my wife and I enjoy as well as the favorite drink of one of the combos I play in. Being as big of fan of Laphroaig as I am, I am always up for the arduous task of trying new expressions from them.
I found the color of the Laphroaig Select to be an enjoyable hue of gold, a few shades darker than the coffee table it was sitting on. Picking out the nose or what I would call the pre-light aromas I found the standard peat and smoke but also in my opinion, some spice and dried fruit. The flavor notes on the palette started with the customary peat and smoke as is standard in Laphroaig, but much less than what I am used to with 10 Year and Cask Strength. It’s much more subdued…almost polite in a way. I also noticed the touch of sweetness that comes after the peat and smoke. This is not customary to the standard fare of Laphroaig. The finish on the Laphroaig I felt was much shorter than the others, likely because again of the milder potency to the drinker’s palette.
For this milder expression of Laphroaig, I would recommend a cigar that would complement and balance itself to the Select. For review purposes, I smoked the Crux Sports with a glass of the Laphroaig Select and felt they played very well with each other, neither attempting to overtake the other. Other cigar pairings to recommend with the Laphroaig Select would be an Arturo Fuente Short Story and CAO La Traviata.
Total: 8.5/10
Overall, I think the Laphroaig Select is a perfect expression for a whiskey enthusiast who likes to have a little smoke and peat contained within their drink and not the full force from their other expressions. The price is right, thoroughly enjoyed it, and would certainly welcome anyone gifting me a bottle but I can say that it would be the third or fourth choice of Laphroaig in my house.
As always, thank you very much for reading and I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.
I have had 2 bottle of Laphroaig in my life 15 and still have a half full 18.. Both are very good but I need to be in the mood for a smoke bomb like that. do you cut your’s with water at all?
I do not. I have drank enough Laphroaig, Ardbeg and a smaller amount of Octomore over the years to where I prefer the ‘smoke bomb’. A couple of drops of water will cut the tension and make it a bit more tolerable starting out.