Cairdeas 2015
51.5% ABV (103 proof)
~$75 (sample provided)
Color: pale hazy gold
Smell: unmistakably Islay, and lovely. Band-aids, barbecue smoke, and sea salt foam - all drizzled with honey. There's also some nuttiness and peaches/pears elbowing in. But it's a smooth customer - not harsh at all, which is a bit surprising considering the proof.
Taste: smooth honey and peaches/pears upfront before the smoke party starts. The midpalate brings in roasted almonds and chewy barbecue-smoked fatty meat (with a lot of black pepper). The finish is briny, peaty, and really long. Very nice. Again, very refined and smooth throughout - there's no need for water here.Overall: I love it, and highly recommend it. For me, it's a solid A, and a decent value to boot. I guess the only criticism (not really a fault) is that it hews very closely to the core Laphroaig expression. This seems to be an elevated version of its cask strength offering, which I suppose is really the best way to celebrate a 200th anniversary!
