Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 Celebrating 200 years of Laphroaig with Federal Boston, October 3rd, 2015 – Scotch Whisky News
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015
Celebrating 200 years of Laphroaig
Joe writes,
Let me set the scene:
The year 2005 – The place – Islay International Airport.
I was on Islay attending The Bruichladdich Academy and the I stayed on for the following week to attend the Islay Fest. Some friends were coming over to the island for the festival and I was waiting for the plane to come in. Laphroaig’s distillery manager John Campbell was also there, waiting for one of his importers. We started talking and a few minutes later we were talking about 2015 and Laphroaig’s 200th Anniversary. I said to John that it would be great to have a bottling with all your own floor maltings. He had the look of a Cheshire Cat and said that it might be something that could happen. Little did I know that it had been set for almost two years at that point. I told John That I would be there in 2015 and in the last week of May this year, I was just barely able to get over there and it was a great time!
Laphroaig hasn’t done all its own floor maltings for decades and back then their stills were much smaller. For this year’s Cairdeas, they used only their smaller spirit stills and distilled only barley they malted themselves, just like they would have done back in the 1950s. The whisky was bottled at 11 years 9 months of age and at cask strength. this is a rare glimpse into “old-school” Laphroaig, and a real cracker! The Cairdeas 2015 is a limited bottling — this is going to go fast and when it is gone, it is gone. The Cairdeas is wonderful neat but when water is added, it really opens up and it has a creaminess that is precious. This will probably be gone before many even know about it. Get it while you can. Both the 15 Y.O. and the Cairdeas are limited releases and are wonderful, heavily peated single malts.
So, curious about what exactly is meant by “old school Laphroaig”? Wondering just how close they came in their attempted recreation? Get ready to find out!
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 $84.99
Laphroaig 15 year old $79.99
Laphroaig Masterclass at the Olde Mouldy
presented by Joe Howell of Federal Wines and Spirits
Saturday, October 3rd, 7pm
to fête the bicentennary of Laphroaig!
73 Ames Street, Cambridge
Most of you saw the announcement we sent out a month ago about Nate’s new pet project (if you missed it, find it here), and we’re happy now to announce our first collaboration. The Olde Mouldy will play host to our celebration of Laphroaig’s 200th anniversary! Laphroaig holds a very special place in my heart, and I couldn’t let the date go by without pulling out all the stops. Unfortunately, I don’t personally plan to be around for their 300th, so now is the time! This is going to be the most precious Laphroaig tasting I could ever conceive of doing (and between you and me, I’m pretty good at conceiving of ridiculous tastings!)
We’ll start with the modern Laphroaig 10 year, to reacquaint ourselves with what their spirit is like now. Then we’ll jump into this year’s Cairdeas and taste it against a bottle of Laphroaig 10 year old bottled in 1969 — exactly the spirit they were trying to recreate! From there, we’ll try the 15 year old they also released this year to celebrate their bicentenary and THEN we’ll get crazy! We’ll open up two of the oldest whiskies they have ever bottled — the 30 year old and the 40 year old distilled in 1960! To cap it all off, everyone in attendance will get a bottle of the limited edition and so precious Cairdeas all for themselves, so they can relive the magic of the evening long after the fact, sitting at home, savoring this piece of liquid history.
This will be an evening of magical whisky, and magical company. Some of these bottles are unspeakably rare and expensive, and we’re offering a line-up of malts that you won’t ever find again, and definitely not for this price! Each and every one of these bottles is precious.
Pours will be 1/2 ounce per whisky, bottles may be picked up only from Federal Wines at 29 State Street in Boston any time after payment. Bottles will not be available for pick-up on the night of the event. When the masterclass is over, all are welcome to stay, and anyone else is welcome to join us as the Olde Mouldy opens for regular business where you can order terrific food and another dram of two from their menu if that’s what you want to do.
Laphroaig 10 year old $59.99
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 $84.99
Laphroaig 10 year old bottled c. 1969 – not available
Laphroaig 15 year old $79.99
Laphroaig 30 – not available
Laphroaig 40 – not available
Tickets are $300 per person. Space and spirits are limited. 30 seats available.
To reserve, call or email Joe Howell at Federal wines and spirits
617-367-8605
Joe Howell
Federal Wine & Spirits
Email: info@federalwine.com
Phone: (617) 367-8605
