2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 15

Sunday funday? Day 15 of the 24 Days of Whisk(e)y ... tonight ... something I knew I would enjoy on the first sniff. While I had this one blind, I am to the point where there are only 10 bottles left, and the last one I know what it is, so this was likely 1 of 2 bottles (possibly a 3rd because I have no idea what that one is going to be like). Turned out I was wrong, which has happened *many* times this year (:

Tonight we were drinking Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 10 Year, Original Cask Strength, 58.5% ABV. The regular Laphroaig 10 Year is one of the OGs of Peated Scotch Whiskey. I recall the first time I had it, I got goose bumps from the peat and the iodine and the band-aid and the ... well, you get the idea. I was curious how the Cask Strength would do.

On the nose, this one is just delightful. It makes me question why I just don't drink peaty Scotch Whisky anytime I drink Whisk(e)y. I find smoke, charcoal, a touch of meaty bbq sweetness, ash, a bit of strike anywhere match sulfur, a smoldering campfire, and even some dirt and earth. While some of those do not sound "delightful" - all together it was quite enjoyable. 

The taste is similar, but without the dirt and earth, heh. Along with the charcoal, ash, bbq meat sweetness, and the touch of sulfur, I get a hot pepper... reminds me of a Capsaicin extract where it's just *hot* in a way you want to keep going back to it. The finish is similar, with the match sulfur, the hot pepper Capsaicin, and then at the tail end a heat that lingers for a long time. My face got flushed while drinking this. 

With water, the nose isn't as good. It seems to release the alcohol a bit more which covers up the interesting things I was finding. The taste is probably better - at first it is even more peppery, but then it gets bbq meat sweet and nice and smokey before going back to hot, then the finish does the same for me, going back and forth between spicy and sweet and smokey. Really quite enjoyable.

This one is really good. But doesn't quite make it into the fantastic range. It beats you up some, so it likely isn't for everyone, and not something I would go to often, but when I did want something "interesting" ... this one wouldn't let me down. I'm not really a fan of the standard Laphroaig 10 Year - of the 'big' big Islay Peated Scotch Whiskies, it's probably my least favorite. But this one is quite different and better. I'm rating this 4.25/5.0... cheers!