On the twenty-third day of the Dramcalendar, we have the Laphroaig 2005, bottled by Duncan Taylor as part of their ‘The Octave’ bottling series.

An octave cask is one eighth the size of a butt (i.e. 50 liters). Due to the increased wood-to-spirit contact, the small casks have a fast, very noticeable effect on the whisky inside.

Facts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:	Laphroaig 2005
Bottler:	Duncan Taylor
Bottling series:	The Octave
Vintage:	2005
Bottled:	2015
Age:	10 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Laphroaig
Cask Type:	Sherry Octave Cask Finish
Cask Number:	569665
Number of bottles:	88
Strength:	51.7% Vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

All the stuff you expect from a Laphroaig. Medicine, iodine, bandages and smoldering ashes – or to put it short: a burned down hospital at the beach. Embedded in a mix of red apples and honeyed citrus fruits.

Taste

Full-bodied, sweet and oily. Peat, medicine and seaweed balanced by white pepper, honey, vanilla and caramel.

Finish

Long, very dry and slightly peppery. Dark chocolate and mocha.

Overall

Very straightforward and not all that exciting overall. I don’t have the feeling, that the octave really added too much to the whisky. All in all a (slightly) sherried regular 10 Years Old in my opinion.

Score: 84 / 100