Description
Nose: Somewhat sour and not altogether pleasant. The instantly recognisable Laphroaig seaweed and iodine make an appearance, but in rather subdued form. There’s a floral, winey character to this whisky, with scents of raisins and vanilla. These give way to toffee, cork and hemp rope, along with shortbread and roasted almonds. However, the effect is more than a little bit spoiled by a distinct aroma of raw spirit, faintly reminiscent of meat that’s not been cured correctly. Although there is quite a lot happening on the nose, it’s not all good news, and I really hope this whisky may yet surprise.Palate: The same winey, mellow character returns, fused with notes of toasted oak and smoky cereal. The vanilla from the nose increases in intensity, as the influence from the virgin oak cask unfolds. There’s quite an explicit barley flavour, intertwined with notes of salty liquorice. On the whole, this is a fairly fresh version of Laphroaig. I could never call a Laphroaig soft, but the Four Oak is much less feisty than the 10 year old or the Quarter Cask. Despite this, the relative youth of this whisky is apparent throughout. There is quite a lot of complexity, but little sophistication and more than a little lack of balance.Finish: Not overly long, and missing that typical warming boost that announces this is a Laphroaig. The finish is accompanied by a relatively soft smokiness, having left most of the medicinal character behind. Eventually the smoke evaporates into an aftertaste of charred oak and dried fruit.
