Hello Fellow WhiskeyLovers –

Forgive me for not writing last week. I was trapped aboard a cruise ship with my family and 2400 other raving lunatics from the greater NYC area. Despite assurances from the cruise operator that there would be high-speed Wifi available everywhere on-board, the internet access took me back to the days of my 56k baud modem…it was essentially non existent.

Nevertheless you all kept the FWL flame hot by burning up the voting for the winners of the 2012 Drammie Awards. In the final voting round we received votes from over 7,000 unique visitors from 16 different countries…providing a loud and clear “voice of WhiskeyLovers everywhere”.

So who won?

Well..for starts…we had one double winner for two categories.

Best Distillery Tour 2012; Distillery of the Year 2012: Laphroaig.

To see the complete list of 2012 Drammie Awards winners, click here.

So what better way to congratulate the distillery on their double-win, than to feature my favorite Laphroaig expression in this weeks letter: Laphroaig 18 YO Islay Single Malt Whisky.

Laphroaig 18 YO is made in limited quantities each year and savoured by a fortunate few. There is a soft, sweet and spicy Islay peat smoke that greets you when you first open the bottle. The immediate taste is an oak sweetness, from 18 long and lovley years in the barrel. Thereafter a faint hint of the sea can be detected, which bears testimony to its time maturing on the remote island of Islay. The whisky is bottled at 48% ABV and non-chill filtered for a depth of taste and texture.

My friend John Hansell, in his Whisky Advocate blog, described Laphroag 18 as “Very smooth for Laphroaig-the extra aging has mellowed this whisky. Soothing honeyed malt, creamy vanilla and toffee provide a bed for peat smoke, charcoal, tar, along with more subtle brine, smoked seaweed, anise, ginger and citrus. A, gentler, creamier, more tactile, less medicinal Laphroaig when compared to some of its siblings …The higher strength (and no chill-filtering) of the 18 is certainly a bonus….”

As mentioned, this is a limited production whisky…but as always, one phone call to our man Nickey “the Neck” and. voila, our distribution center now has more than our fair share. Which means we can offer you a bottle of Laphroaig 18 YO Islay Single Malt for $94.75/ bottle (limit 2-bottles each please).

I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to purchase this amazing whisky while it’s still available…because once it’s gone…

And until next week…have fun!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

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LAPHROAIG 18YO ISLAY SINGLE MALT WHISKY

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DISTILLERS’ TASTING NOTES

COLOUR: Bright Gold

NOSE: At bottling strength, a soft toffee sweet but faintly spicy flavour counterbalances the trace of delicate phenols and fruit. An all encompassing smoothness brings these together. A touch of water allows the seaweed and salt to come through but not enough to overpower the vanilla and honey sweetness with just a trace of new mown hay and peat at the finish.

BODY: An intense depth that is exceptionally balanced and warming.

TASTE: An instant warming tang of smoke fades into smooth floral scents, which blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and leaves a lasting sweetness on the taste. With a touch of water, the peaty warmth fills the mouth but does not overshadow the sweet chocolate smoothness. This is balanced by the rich toffee taste and slowly fades into a delicate hint of heather and peat smoke.

FINISH: Full bodied, long with a luxurious oily smoothness.