Laphroaig 10 year old Sherry Cask Edition Single Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 48%

Laphroaig sits right at the water's edge on Islay's south coast, where the seaweed smells of iodine and peat smoke settles into your coat. They've been making whisky here since 1815, and it has never once apologised for itself. For this bottle, though, they've left the door open a crack for something softer. Sherry.

Expert's Description

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks, finished in European oak Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 48%.

The starting point is the classic Laphroaig 10 Year Old. After the bourbon casks, the whisky moves into hand-picked sherry casks and rests there for twelve to eighteen months. It arrived in 2021 as a permanent addition to the Laphroaig range, and the distillery calls it "the sweet one". That's relative, because the smoke is still very much there.

The spirit is the same as ever. Peated malt, part of it still malted on the distillery's own floors, then double distilled. The sherry casks add honey and fruit on top, but they don't take over. Laphroaig picks the casks to suit the peat, not the other way round. The result is full-bodied and round, with maple syrup and bacon sitting next to pine needles and sea salt.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet and smoky in the same breath. Manuka honey, grilled bacon and maple syrup come first, then tar and pine needles. Further back there's dark chocolate, cedar wood and a whiff of iodine.

Palate

Round and full. Dark chocolate, honey and vanilla meet a peat fire and toasted wood, with salt spray running underneath it all. The iodine stays in the background, a reminder of where the bottle comes from.

Finish

Long, sweet and spicy. Chestnut honey lingers well after the sip, and the smoke retreats slowly with a faint medicinal edge.

Specifications

Name: Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Oak Cask Finish
Distillery: Laphroaig
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, finished in European oak Oloroso sherry casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: Sherry Oak Cask Finish
EAN no.: 5010019000545

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry-matured · Honeyed · Maritime · Spicy

Did You Know?

The box tells you how to say the name itself: La-Froyg. There's good reason, as hardly anyone gets it right on the first try. The company behind it is still called D. Johnston & Co., after the Johnston brothers who founded the distillery.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Oak Cask Finish

What's the difference between the Sherry Oak Cask Finish and the regular Laphroaig 10 Year Old?

The Sherry Oak Cask Finish spends an extra twelve to eighteen months in Oloroso sherry casks after its bourbon maturation and is bottled at 48%. The regular 10 Year Old has only been in bourbon casks. That adds honey, maple syrup and dark fruit on top of the medicinal smoke, which otherwise stands alone.

Is Laphroaig Sherry Oak Cask Finish sweet or smoky?

Both. The sherry sweetness arrives first with honey and maple syrup, but the peat smoke and seaweed follow right behind. That makes it a good way into Laphroaig if the classic 10 Year Old feels too sharp.

How do you pronounce Laphroaig?

Laphroaig is pronounced La-Froyg. It's printed right on the box, because so many people get it wrong.

How should you drink Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Oak Cask Finish?

Neat, or with a single drop of water. The distillery recommends water itself, as it opens up the sherry sweetness and the salt spray in the smoke. A tulip-shaped glass keeps the aroma together. See our range of whisky glasses.

Can you use it in cocktails?

Yes, the honey and smoke work well in a Penicillin with ginger and lemon. It can be the base or a small float on top. Our Penicillin cocktail recipe shows you how.

What is Laphroaig distillery known for?

Laphroaig was founded in 1815 by the Johnston brothers on the south coast of Islay. It's known for its heavy, medicinal peat character and is one of the few distilleries still floor-malting part of its own barley. If you want to compare it with the neighbours, we carry a wide range of Islay Whisky.