What a Rare New Make Spirit

As in the whisky launch party mentioned in my previous article "My Desirable  Laphroaig 18 years old", the host exhibited a bottle of new make spirit from Laphroaig which is the double distilled alcohol having been watered down being readiness for barrel aging. The brand ambassador did not mention this new make spirit at all throughout his presentation, let lone offering tasting. Since new make spirit is hardly to find, I won't miss such a good opportunity to taste it. I caught the ambassador who wore in the Scottish kilt for asking a try. He reluctantly poured me some and diluted with water for  nosing and remind me that such thing won't be pleasant on palate. He told me about the characteristics of the new make and I did express my appreciation to his kindness in return. I was by no mean satisfied for just nosing the new make. Such a golden opportunity I definitely won't let it goes. I took sufficient sample for detail tasting while he walked away.

Laphroaig New Make Spirit, 29/1/2011, 700 ml, 63.5%

Nose: Hawthorn, sour mash, yogurt, lightly peaty
Palate: Nectar, malty sweet, rock sugar, slight peat
Aftertaste: Medium length, malty, milky
Overall: It is not a pleasant drink at all. The ambassador didn't cheat me. It was, however, regarded as an unusual but a good tasting experience. It is interesting that there was just a touch of peat in the new make which far from my anticipation. I won't score this new make as it is not an official release of alcoholic drink. Dare to try again on such odd thing? Yes, love to, so far as I am a well-known oddity.

My Desirable Laphroaig 18 Years Old

Laphroaig 18 years old is always on my wish list. Although this bottling has been available in Hong Kong markets for years and hanging a fairly reasonable price tag, I am just not bought it or have chance to taste it thus far, what a strange! Few weeks ago a friend of mine brought me to a whisky launch party for Laphroaig and Teacher's Origin. I found that Laphroaig 18 years old was on the tasting list. What a pleasure I have opportunity to taste my favor for free.

Laphroaig 18 years, 700 ml, 48%

Nose: Pearlike stone fruit, nutty, iodine, smokey, sea breeze, vanilla

Palate: Nectar, melon peel, iodine, brine, smoking oyster, charcoal, ashy, vanilla

Aftertaste: Long, sea water, nutty, mint

Overall: Not much peaty on nose, good balance among fruit, iodine and smoke, good but not outstanding especially to an 18 years old whisky. Strong body, main theme is smoky ash and sea water. Moderate iodine, layered and complex on palate, excellent. The main favours last to lengthy aftertaste with echo of mint. This bottling is lesser the iodine favour than the 10 years old. Though it is bottled at a higher alcohol level of ABV 48%, it is not as violently as to the lower strength 10 years old at  ABV 40% or 43%. This 18 years old bottling majors in coastal favour, backed with smoky and featured with iodine. Good performance on nose but not really intense as my expected to an 18 years old whisky ought to be despite that it can be said of elegance. I personally prefer this Laphroaig being wild as if the young 10 years old and with complexity from the aging but notwithstanding that it is an outstanding whisky without a doubt