A New Release Sherried Peater from a Beloved Scotch Icon
Laphroaig 10 Year Old “Sherry Oak” Islay Single Malt
Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)
“This is an absolutely perfectly executed expression that offers so much enjoyment and complexity…” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

As one of Scotland’s most beloved whiskies, Laphroaig’s 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt is a perennial go-to for Scotch fanatics the world over. While it’s been a stunningly successful formula for decades, the distillery has finally heeded the call from the hardcore sherry crowd and released a sherried version of its iconic dram just in time for the holidays. The anticipation surrounding this new bottling cannot be overstated, and once we got it open at the tasting bar, it became plainly clear that the hype is more than justified. Spirits buyer David Othenin-Girard describes, “It’s right smokey with plenty of oily smoke and sweet peat wafting from the glass … On the palate, it’s unctuous and mouth-coating, most definitely due to the higher-than-normal proof, bold and unabashed with the sweetness of the sherry.” In a perfect display of Laphroaig’s mastery with both peat and sherry ageing, both elements meld in total harmony to produce an expression that is at once classically Laphroaig but also a thrilling new entry into the sherried malt sphere. There is quite simply nothing else like it on the market, and with the limited availability, we fully expect long-time fans of the distillery to go hard and heavy, causing it to vanish from our shelves in a flash.

Laphroaig 10 Year Old “Sherry Oak” Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($89.99)

K&L Notes: Laphroaig 10 is definitely in the running for Scotland’s most iconic bottling. After years of pining for a sherried version, it’s finally here. The 10 Year Old Sherry Oak is finished in Oloroso casks, providing a honeyed sweetness that perfectly complements the salty smoke of Scotland’s most richly flavored malt. While it’s our hope that this will eventually be a staple on the shelves, the initial release is extremely limited and will certainly sell out in minutes.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 08, 2021

The iconic Islay producer has long been a darling of the Scotch-loving world. There are fewer and fewer people out there who turn their nose up at the wildly peaty style that comes off the special stills at Laphroaig. Not only are they one of the few distillers to use their own malt, which is part of what many attribute to the unique flavors of their spirit, but they use a complex regime of seven stills to create a completely unique malt. While sherried Laphroaig is renowned historically, they rarely fill it into sherry butts. It’s a real treat if they can pull it off properly. Let’s have a taste. The color is amber/deep gold. OH THANK GOD! They haven’t totally neutered the fires of Islay with these sherry butts. It’s right smokey with plenty of oily smoke and sweet peat wafting from the glass. The sherry has drawn it slightly towards the BBQ flavors and away from the high-pitched medicinal flavors, which only the very pickiest Laphroaig lover will lament. Lots of roasted flavors—roasted wood, roasted earth, roasted meat, toasted pepper, roasted brush, ashy smoke. On the palate, it’s unctuous and mouth-coating, thanks most definitely to the higher-than-normal proof, bold and not at all unabashed with the sweetness of the sherry, it’s nutty frame just slightly taming the gamey peat character. We always worry that with these NAS bottlings they’ll try to sneak in some “under-mature” casks, but this feels extremely well composed and, dare I say, “older”? This is an absolutely perfectly executed expression, that offers so much enjoyment and complexity while slightly opening the door to those who might be otherwise afraid to dive into the South Shore smokies.