Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish Review
Originally released in 2021, the Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Oak Finish whisky slightly alters how Laphroaig’s 10 Year whisky is matured. The Laphroaig 10 Year whisky is the scotch that made me appreciate Islay whisky, and I will forever be a fan of it. As much as I enjoy their flagship whisky, I originally had my doubts that it would work well with sweeter casks. However, as it turns out, the Laphroaig 10 year is already aged in refill Oloroso sherry casks to give the core range whisky some added sweetness. Additionally, the 2021 Laphroaig Cairdeas Pedro Ximenez Casks release forever changed my view of how versatile of a whisky Laphroaig is and how nicely it works with sherry casks.
I still had my doubts about how much of a difference a longer finish in sherry would provide for the 10 Year whisky though. As noted in the Robb Report, this whisky was matured 12 to 18 months in European oak sherry casks in addition to the usual bourbon and refill Oloroso sherry casks used by Laphroaig to make the Laphroaig 10 Year. I am not sure what the differences are between European oak Oloroso sherry casks and other casks used for maturing sherry, but what we presume is the longer maturation in sherry will give this whisky even stronger sweet flavors. The question is how much of a flavor difference will come from those 12 to 18 months?
At cask strength, this whisky is 48% ABV. The Laphroaig 10 Year is 43% ABV, so there is a noticeable increase in the ABV. However, it is still a lower ABV than many other sherry cask-influenced whiskies.
What I do appreciate is that it is pretty reasonably priced and could be found at a local liquor store in the Chicago area. But is it worth the additional $34, or should you just be happy with the Laphroaig 10 Year?
The Basics
Aged: 10 years
Bottles available: 4,450 cases (Not sure how many bottles are in case. Would love to hear from you if you do!)
Casks: Bourbon, refill Oloroso sherry, European oak Oloroso sherry
ABV: 48%
Color: Tawny (i.e. brownish orange)
Nose: Cherry, raisin, salt, jerky
Cost: $99
Purchased at: Lakeview Beer Wine Spirits in Chicago (no website available)
Taste
The first sip is a bit heavy with flavors of caramel and raisins and then transitions into a hint of cherry flavor. The cherry flavor is accompanied by cinnamon and then finishes with strong cinnamon and smoky flavors.
I think it’s a beautifully smooth whisky that brings together many flavors. You get the caramel from the bourbon casks, the dried fruit from the sherry, the sweet spice usually present in the Laphroaig 10 Year, and almost no burn from the alcohol. It’s very similar to the many Pedro Ximenez sherry matured whiskies we have reviewed, but you get some added caramel and juicy cherry notes.
Neat or With Water
I personally prefer to drink this one neat. I found adding water reduced almost all of the great flavors provided by this whisky. The dried fruit, sweet spice, and smoky flavors are all a bit diminished with water.
Summary
Accessibility: This whisky is something you can still find today without a ton of searching. I have seen it in local liquor stores, through online stores, and in whisky auctions. In the United States, you should definitely be able to find this one.
Price: For $99, I feel like I got a pretty reasonable deal for this bottle. At retail, Laphroaig sells this whisky for $81. For anyone in the U.S., shipping charges would need to be factored into the retail price. $99 is not absurdly more than the retail price, and it’s nice to not need to wait for it to be shipped to you. So the low end is $81, but I have seen someone offering this bottle for an outrageous $288. Anything between $80-100 sounds good to me, but I have seen it go for as little as $57 in whisky auctions before auction fees and shipping are factored in.
Quality: The Laphroaig 10 Year’s sweet spice and smoky flavors are greatly enhanced by the European sherry oak casks. You will get a lot of sherry flavor added with the 12-18 month maturation process this whisky went through. It brings together dried fruit, juicy cherry, cinnamon spice, and smoky notes into a low ABV whisky, so you can focus on the flavors and not the alcohol burn. This is one of the best combinations of all these flavors I have had in a whisky.
Laphroaig continues to impress me. Their whiskies are usually accessible, affordable, and do a great job of bringing together many complex flavors into a single dram. The Laphroaig 10 Year Sherry Oak Finish is a must try for anyone who enjoys some sweet with their peat. I particularly enjoyed the lower ABV, which I felt allowed me to focus on the great flavors the whisky provides. It is also very impressive to me how flavorful and smooth this whisky came out in only 10 years.
I hope that Laphroaig adds this to their core range of whiskies if that is not already the case. I would like to make sure I always have a bottle of this because I think its hard to find whiskies that are affordable, accessible, and are uniquely special in the flavor profiles they provide. I believe this whisky delivers in all of those categories and is one I hope to have available as a go-to whisky for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps another Dan can say why this whisky is a great one in a simpler way than me.