Laphroaig 25-year-old

Overall rating
90.59/100
votes
304
Whiskybase ID
WB101491
Category
Single Malt
Distillery
Bottler
Distillery Bottling
Bottling serie
Cask Strength Edition
Bottled
2017
Stated Age
25 years old
Casktype
Bourbon & 2nd Fill Oloroso Sherry
Strength
48.9 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Bottle code
L7061
Barcode
5010019638298
Added on
29 sep 2017 12:22 pm by Archer
UncoloredCask Strength

Average value

€ 542.48

133 × in wishlist

304 × member ratings

791 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Laphroaig 25-year-old

68 users have left 74 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 90.59 points.

  1. peatbogger scored this whisky 92 points Specialist

    Enjoyed at the Rhine Zeit in Köln.
    An extremely rewarding whisky when you feel like indulging yourself in a quiet moment.
    Unfortunately too expencive as an everyday dram for most of us.
    • Nose
      93 93
      I found this to be a very good Laffy nose.
      Soft, round and gentle with everything floating together at the right level.
      Peat smoke, brine and a hint medicinal.
      Mellow fruity sweetness with an almost un-noticeable touch of wood.
    • Taste
      92 92
      Arrives soft, sweet and fruity.
      Growing notes of peaty smoke, but never to a completely dominating level.
      Darker notes of coffee and leather comes along together with soft spice.
      One dram is really not enough to fully explore this.
    • Finish
      91 91
      Long slow fading finish.
      Gentle notes of peat and spice with a bit more wood.
      Delicious.

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  3. JohnyMac81 scored this whisky 93 points Member Senior

    What is it about 2017? I feel the 2017 12 year Lagavulin was the best year. This is BY FAR the best Laphroaig 25 I have ever tasted. Just a fantastic dram in every way.
    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      93 93
    • Finish
      93 93
      Long and pleasantly Laphroaig.

  4. JoshNRW scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    I compared this one with a Cairdeas (2021) because I found the contrast very exciting. The difference between these filigree and the brute aromas of the Cairdeas is impressive and sad at the same time.

    That nose on this Laphroaig 25 is just awesome and for me the best part of the whisky. This clean nose would be worth almost 400 euros to me.
    • Nose
      93 93
      In the Blenders first a really great Laphroaig old school nose with little medicinal smoke (for a Laphroaig as we know it today), gauze bandages, a lot of banana, lots of maritime salty notes, a fruity barley sugar sweetness.
      No mistakes, only harmony. One of the best and cleanest Islay notes I've ever had. No surprises or particularly complex flavors you wouldn't expect.
    • Taste
      91 91
      The palate starts surprisingly sweet and has significantly more wood than the nose, but still no comparison to wood with the Cairdeas from 2021, where the whole palate consists only of bittersweet wood notes.
      Here the smoky notes are even more subtle than in the nose and are more reminiscent of these gauze bandage notes and the medicinal smoke.
      Again, I find banana, tingling barley sugar sweetness.
    • Finish
      92 92
      The mouthfeel is that typical tingle of an old and salty sweet Islay. Not impressively intense, but beautiful and mouth-filling.
      The finish is long and again very clean, without missing notes and no wood, but everything is very subtle here too.

  5. JeanChan scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  6. Baanaanaabob scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Creamy peat, iodine, bit of medicinal smoke, candied citrus, very good

  7. Sirralf scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      92 92
      Sweet, floral notes, some honey and herbs. Significant peat smoke and maritime notes.
    • Taste
      93 93
      Not much happens at first, but then there is a strong attack that floods the mouth with aromas. The alcohol is pleasantly present. Many herbal aromas, sweet candies, honey, peat smoke as well as lime, orange peel and iodine
    • Finish
      91 91
      Long-lasting complex finish with floral and maritime notes.

  8. Dris scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      90 90

  9. WhiskeryTurnip scored this whisky 79 points Expert Senior

    I oscillated pretty wildly between loving the complexity of the meat and tea on the palate— as well as the subtle transition from sweet and mineral notes to ash and sea— and feeling as if the palate and mouthfeel were just too weak to really stand up. The finish was lovely, but the overall impression is that the whisky feels a bit watered down— perhaps too delicate and refined for my brutish taste buds.

    Mental Image: Barley Stuffed Duck & Tea.
    • Nose
      Subtle and complex. Tea smoked salmon, smoldering beachside bbq pit, and bleached driftwood. Lovely maritime meat and salt come through as smoked fish spread and creamy compound herb butter.
    • Taste
      Light body with a mild palate— there is complexity, but it emerges slowly and does not smack you in the face with a fishtail. Grilled shellfish, seashells, and tar, along with sweet honey. Wood fire ash builds over time giving the impression of ashy chocolate milk or malty Ovaltine. As the sweetness fades an astringent dry herbal quality, like the bottom of a chrysanthemum teapot, developments along with a reprise of meaty notes as rich smoked duck.
    • Finish
      Long and lingering smoke and tea.

  10. geriud scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Tasted with 7 other superb 25yo’s as birthday drams, with the following conclusion:

    1-2. Lagavulin 25yo from 1977 (WB12) & Talisker 25 from 1975 (WB3034) - 94 points
    3. Caol Ila 25yo from 1979 (WB462) - 92 points
    4. Laphroaig 25 from 2015 (WB77940) - 91 points
    5 .Caol Ila 25 from 2019 (WB147721) - 90 points
    6. Talisker 25 from 2020 (WB165113) - 89 points
    7-8. Ardbeg 25 from 2021 (WB194113) & Laphroaig 25 from 2017 (WB101491) - 88 points.

  11. geriud scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
      First impression: less complex compared to it's 2015 version. The sweet - peaty vanilla is dominating at the beginning. The expected fruitiness is almost hidden, needs more time to recognize the pineapples, grapefruits, lemons, ...
    • Taste
      89 89
      On the palate is much more fruity and more complex. Exotic fruits mixture with slight peat in the background.
    • Finish
      88 88
      Long aftertaste with developing sweetness.

      Expected a bit more in terms of complexity. You could still get those wonderful exotic fruity aromas, but you need to be patient and need more time to get is. This one is rather sweet-vanilla driven that complex fruit driven.
      Still a great one, but the previous version is just way better than this.

  12. Dram Brigade scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Delicate Laphroaig, the profile I tends to enjoy recently. Still if only the flavors are more profound and complex.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Delicately Laphroaig flavor profile, band aids, soft oak, honey sweetness, golden pear. Aged and fresh. After a sip, the sugary sweetness and fresh wood shave slowly take over.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Quite the same as the nose. Soft peat, salty, band aids, some good peat sweetness.
    • Finish
      87 87
      Medium, band aids and some salt

  13. kikist scored this whisky 86 points Expert Senior

    Air really helps to this whisky! Nose is awesome but palate is little bit too spicy for me! Probably due to age...
    Hmm this one is really good but for this price will not hunt bottle
    • Nose
      90 90
      awesome, old wood, musty, shy smoke, sea shore, sweet
    • Taste
      82 82
      soo spicy, some fruit, chlorine, touch of smoke, sweet
    • Finish
      87 87
      chocolate, cacao, light spiciness, sweetness

  14. etwa77 scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    sweet.. fruits in abundace.. the grind powder sitting on the bottom of a turkish coffee cup.. everything enveloped in soft-whispering peat.. so powerful, yet complex and delicate at the same time.. a dram to be enjoyed in silence and solitude..

  15. HoneyBadgerZ scored this whisky 92 points Member Senior

    Whisky itself taste good, tastes much better when opens up.
    Chocolatey citrusy with that beautiful smoky finish however
    very disappointed with Laphroaig distillery because for new release of 25 yo at distillery shop now they asking this year £500 its almost double!!!

  16. praisethepasta did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    brilliant whisky, truly one to ‘treat yourself’. You will however be forking out the cash on this one, as their 25 yo releases are easily north of €300, all the way up to €600 even, in some places.
    • Nose
      Sweet and peaty. Cherries, a funky sweet medicinal note (antiseptic/iodine), licorice root going into a soft ginger spiciness. It comes across quite oily and syrupy with some treacle. Chocolate covered raisins which over time develop into a rich wine note and some soft, gentle wood. There’s very little smoke and the peat is outnumbered by the sweet spice and fruit notes. I could nose this puppy all evening and just be very happy. Absolutely stunning!
    • Taste
      the medicinal notes are less obvious, while the peat and smoke make a comeback, but not in an aggressive way. On the contrary: they are just so well integrated with notes of dried fruit (raisins, dried plums), dark, slightly bitter chocolate and a whole bag of spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, clove…) combined with that full, oily/syrupy body. This might be ‘just’ a 2nd fill oloroso cask but it’s still very active and flavourful. There’s nothing overly oaked or overaged about this, as this whisky is just blooming, achieving its full potential.
    • Finish
      long and lingering with soft, drying notes of peat, spices and dried fruit sweetness.

  17. Killswitch scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  18. praisethepasta did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    a superb whisky, ticking off all the right boxes bare the price tag.
    • Nose
      90 90
      Sweet and peaty. Cherries, a funky sweet medicinal note (antiseptic/iodine), licorice root going into a soft ginger spiciness. It comes across quite oily and syrupy with some treacle. Chocolate covered raisins which over time develop into a rich wine note and some soft, gentle wood. There’s very little smoke and the peat is outnumbered by the sweet spice and fruit notes. I could nose this puppy all evening and just be very happy. Absolutely stunning!
    • Taste
      91 91
      the medicinal notes are less obvious, while the peat and smoke make a comeback, but not in an aggressive way. On the contrary: they are just so well integrated with notes of dried fruit (raisins, dried plums), dark, slightly bitter chocolate and a whole bag of spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice, clove…) combined with that full, oily/syrupy body. This might be ‘just’ a 2nd fill oloroso cask but it’s still very active and flavourful. There’s nothing overly oaked or overaged about this, as this whisky is just blooming, achieving its full potential.
    • Finish
      90 90
      very satisfying finish: long and lingering with soft, drying notes of peat, spices and dried fruit sweetness.

  19. kanpai79 scored this whisky 90 points Specialist

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  20. 3_243F6 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      A handful of maritime peat, along with spices, herbs, dark sherry (which I think could be better integrated, but maybe with some air...), barley sugar. There are some good fruits in here - apple, mango, pineapple. Citrus, chocolate, pepper, a hint of spearmint. The peat is a bit less medicinal than normal for Laphroaig, but still maritime and a tad smokey. Fairly oaky and dignified - the age shows, and now after some time the sherry is a bit better integrated, bringing some smokey bacon. Very good.
    • Taste
      Sweet, juicy, ripe fruits met with maritime peat and spice. Beautiful. Citrus, apple, pear, tobacco leaves, spearmint, mango, vanilla. All very balanced. With water, it becomes fruitier but less peaty. I prefer the dram neat.
    • Finish
      Warm and creamy. More sherried than the nose and palate - tastes quite winey, sweet and a bit sour. The peat is present as a counterattack, strongly maritime and slightly medicinal and smokey, but never rough. Some apples and pears appear as the other flavours weaken off somewhat. The peat lingers and remains pleasant.

  21. Whiskyisfordrinking did not rate this whisky Expert Senior

    Dark and fruity, heather, more medicinal notes, salty and also very astringent. That is not really my case. Spicier and stronger in the finish.

  22. Lu Cifer scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  23. Saftkenner scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Unmistakably a Laphroaig, but much more elegant in all facets than the younger bottlings.
    What is hidden behind the smoke far exceeds my expectations ...
    • Nose
      Very gently smoky and very elegant. Unbelievably strong vanilla, honey sweetness, iodine, pleasantly warming.
      Juice orange, raisins, lavender, fresh sea breeze, later passion fruit.
      The alcohol is wonderfully integrated, everything is completely harmonious.
    • Taste
      Powerful, sweet, everything nicely balanced and flattering, full and spicy.
    • Finish
      Long finish. Extremely spicy and totally harmonious. Chewed vanilla stick.
      Light fruits are lukewarm in the finish.

  24. Sport scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    Jan 2021
    i was able to buy this special 25yo Islay Whisky for 290€ for a bottle sharing with other aficinados.
    at this time being my most expensive bottle so far. my expectations were not too high actually, because i know, these little differences for old, good whisky's are extremely expensive and hardly worth every penny...

    this malt comes with a nice wooden case and directly shows it's extravaganza. even the paper on the bottle seems to be thicker than the normal ones, with a nice touch.

    i opened the bottle and had a nice dense smoky first smell, i will not forget for a while. after pouring a nice dram, i let it sit for around 30-40 minutes. sometimes putting my nose inside...:
    • Nose
      91 91
      overtime this dram changed and opened quite a lot. i always add at least one drop of water to my drams. i really think it helps to get some more flavours in solution.
      i have some nice tropical fruits in my nose. mango & pineapple wrapped in smooth maritime vanilla smoke. salt, some herbal even floral notes. overall a very sweet nose, that i didnt expect from a 25 year old whisky. seems the oloroso casks did a good job here.
    • Taste
      93 93
      the taste enroles like a velvet carpet on the tongue. its getting warmer every second with a great balance, no burning. step by step many rich flavours are rolling out. ripe tropical fruits. the ripe mango is staying with me since nosing this. the other layers are hard to describe for my low experience with these old whisky's i guess... oily texture and some little spices impress my mouth and i dont want to swallow this delicious liquid. after some chewing i get some hints of tabacco and black tea. time to swallow i think...
    • Finish
      92 92
      i swallow. wood arrives, nuts appear. nice and smooth, not harsh at all. a great balance and nothing like a young (10 CS or 16) laphroaig's agressiveness.
      my mouth is coated with sweetness and light smoke, not too heavy but very present. it's a fresher kind of smoke, not too much like ash or dead bonfire. i have a hint of bacon coming in, sweet caramelized bacon. long finish

  25. thebonewolf scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    I am thoroughly impressed. I expected to be disappointed, as if something I regard as highly as Laphroaig with such an age statement could never disappoint, and at such a price it’s bound to. But boy was I wrong. The peat I expected muted from age? There. The flavors I never expected to find with Laphroaig’s generally strong and intense profile? There. A feeling of letdown? Nowhere to be found. Is it worth the market price for this? Probably not, that’s a really hard price point to find any kind of value at all. But if you buy a bottle, you likely won’t be disappointed.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Briny peat, bit medicinal.
    • Taste
      96 96
      It’s hard to describe this one. So much happens so quickly it’s hard to pinpoint. It’s big at first, mostly a musty fruit, that fades into a really deep fruit flavor with a smoky background. Apple, cinnamon, pepper. Peach? It just cycles the whole time it’s in your mouth.
    • Finish
      88 88
      Light but lingering, hint of fruit, mostly smoked pepper, brine, some nuts on the tail end. Berry well on the tail end.

  26. sphinx scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

  27. Mapl scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  28. robse211 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      91 91

  29. MrNachbar scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      93 93
    • Finish
      92 92

  30. DrunkDude scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
      Laphoraig 25 2017 release 48.9abv
      Light laphoraig peat, juicy green apple and pineapple, ashes, light vanilla cream, rich orange citrus, hints of bacon (smoky malty), light lemon peel majored spray, and hints of sea salt, lemon sour, overall very fruity. 91
    • Taste
      89 89
      Light lemon+vinegar sour and explosive juicy orange citrus, rich citrus peel bitterness, then goes the burnt ashes, and woody tannins, I can trace some fresh apples. Also there’s rich spices majored by black pepper and fennel 89
    • Finish
      91 91
      Citrus bitterness brings up black pepper and white pepper, ashes, and significant liqorice, ginger spices, mint spices. 91

  31. Leessang scored this whisky 91 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      90 90

  32. Stef89 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Junior

    A really great malt that is second to none. Alternating, never boring and simply delicious. Big piece of Islay and Laphroaig! A big movie theater.
    • Nose
      91 91
      But there is also smoke in the background and modified. The typical Laphroaig notes are also more of the light variety, but they are clearly noticeable. In addition to a beautiful fruit basket of yellow fruits, the sherry barrels are actually spreading. But not so much with the aromas of dark fruits and raisins etc. They rather bring a certain heaviness and fruitiness. You can literally smell the old and the barrel has a strong influence on the distillate without dominating. Man, does it smell delicious.
      Alcohol can hardly be seen
    • Taste
      92 92
      The taste of the Oloroso barrels is clearer than the smell. Still no heavy sherry flavors but the fruitiness is incredible. Smoke can hardly be felt at all and the medical is still clearly recognizable, but moves even further into the background. This Laphroaig also acknowledges a large sip with courtesy without a hint of boredom. The flavors alternate and keep coming back in cascades.
      You can feel the barrel on your tongue. It tingles slightly and some white pepper comes through. But without the typical musty. This malt is rather fresh and tangy on the tongue without looking young. In the cheeks and in the nose he can't deny his age either.
      Big cinema
    • Finish
      90 90
      As with the last old Laphroaig, the finish is unfortunately not as long as I would have liked, but definitely not short. The tingling and the oak stays. Here comes some ashy smoke and some tar stays on the tongue. Otherwise, the Oloroso barrels show their advantages again. Delicious.

  33. DrunkDude scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
      Smell: smoky, little flower, close to the laphorig 10 in first contact. But later u get more riped apple and little feel of Palms. Also lemon, ginger, herbal. Very wonderful.
    • Taste
      90 90
      wonderful firstly honey sweet then progress to plum sour and strong hot and complexed herbal spicy, you can feel some herbal in there, and then smoke goes on. 90
    • Finish
      90 90
      ginger and herbal spices, u can feel the heat, feel of bread, and malt, and dominating wood tannin chocolate bitterness 90

  34. P.A.O.K.you_are scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  35. Lukas_Kiene scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      93 93
      Incomprehensible. After 25 long years, the peat smoke is still there, but really beautifully integrated and hidden behind sweet fruits. It can definitely be located at the first nose, but then disappears behind a curtain that is hard to beat in terms of complexity. Sweet and fresh fruits mixed with slightly sugary, pickled fruits and fruit compote appear first. An aroma that gets under your skin and makes you forget everything around you. There is also a maritime note - definitely Laphroaig - which is not comparable to the modern character of this distillery. Much more reserved, much more lovely, rather a walk on the beach with a light breeze than a spicy, angry peat storm. Slightly salty, a little dried seaweed, driftwood. Imagine a walkway overgrown with shells, next to it a gentle spray. You could get lost in the glass, the aroma invites you to dream. Again and again the fruits press against the gentle sea influence. Slight notes of malt or cereals appear. Over time, the smell becomes slightly musty, one thinks that the fruits wear off. After many minutes in the glass, the malt develops fresh citrus notes and it becomes a little more spicy. The sweetness subsides, the smoke becomes clearer, the citrus fruits predominate.
    • Taste
      91 91
      Slightly spicy start, the smoke is noticeable. The oak barrel shows presence, spicy wood aromas and citrus fruits are on the tongue. The sweet fruits that I could hear in the aroma are blown away. The maritime notes can also be seen here, the peat smoke is more dominant than in the nose. Kelp can be suspected. Cold ashes, a little bit salty. A tingling experience on the tongue.
    • Finish
      92 92
      The finish is comfortably warm, quite long and smokes properly afterwards. You immediately think of hot embers, campfires and dried wood. A cozy winter evening in front of the fireplace, blazing fire. But balanced. No intrusive peat smoke. Present, but not intrusive. A solid, gently flattering smoke on the palate. A smoker, not a smoke bomb. The taste stays in the mouth for a long time, the image in the head of the jetty at the sea fades over time and then disappears in a fading glow.

      All in all: An excellent single malt that creates some retro illusions. Really well matured, it opens up a tasting repertoire to the taster that you can rarely experience.

  36. CherryHeart scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    Nose: iodized salt, lime, orange peel, grapefruit, maltose, cured meat make up the sweet and salty main notes. The sea flavor brought by sea mud, seaweed, and damp wood matches the flavor of Shirley barrels very well. Hidden is excellent.
    Palate: Peaches, green apples, limes, lemongrass, cardamom, tea, smoked bacon, ham, iodized salt, sea mud, woody woods after the rain, still a combination of sweet fruits, tempting spices and marine elements It is difficult to distinguish which side of the power is more dominant, the strength is not strong but the degree of fusion is high, the wine strength is slightly but easy to drink. It is more regrettable that some unpleasant tastes such as grass roots, quick lime, and used matches appeared at the end, which dragged down the overall feeling.
    Balance, Body: Moderate wine body, moderate oiliness, excellent balance and easy to drink.
    Finish: Long, lime, bacon, bonfire, seaweed, moist wood fragrance, relatively dry.
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  37. GIORGOS scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      90 90

  38. GWMingus scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      93 93
    • Finish
      92 92

  39. Eilean a' Cheo scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      92 92
      The nose needs a lot of time to breathe, but then you get a multilayered aged islay profile.. Calm harbor, diesel oil, orange peel, presreved lemons, dried mango, wood smoke mixed with various coastal herbs
    • Taste
      92 92
      Initially velvet, coastal and sweet then waxy and smoky followed by tropical fruits mostly dried but with bright and strong flashes of fresh peaches and mangoes, then boat engine.. followed by salted woodsmoke and leather covered old books forgotten by the sea
    • Finish
      91 91
      Long waxy and herbal with touches of old islay's diesel oil and dried tropical fruits served with peat infused bergamot and lemon marmalade

  40. Marko_I did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    very tasty, much better than expected (old Islays are mostly too exhausted), no comment on the price, because out of range
    • Nose
      smells almost like a young (but not sprittig), strong phenol, grassy-herbaceous, maritime, behind it fruity sweetness, gummy bears, green apple
    • Taste
      less phenol / coast / grass, gummy bears / apple - check, with lots of chocolate (first milk, then bitter), a hint of mint
    • Finish
      medium length, dry, almost cool, a hint of mint, salt, gentle bitter herbs

  41. McMoulis scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  42. celtic13 scored this whisky 95 points Expert Junior

    Sweet peat, full-bodied, spicy, lingering honeyed smokiness.

  43. Jackson05 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    A side by side with Laphroaig 25 (2016) which I rate two points less.

    Similar to the 2016, but a little deeper and more complex. A more prominent honey note, which suits me. I really love this 25, but I’m not sure I’d buy another, simply because for the price you’re in premium territory and there are many options that offer better value for money. Price aside, it’s still a beautiful dram.
    • Nose
      91 91
      A little more rich, creamed honey, sap, soft licorice, tinctures and gauze, soft iodine, leather, tarry smoke and lemon cake
    • Taste
      90 90
      Honey, more fruits than the 2016 (guava, kiwi, peach). Creamy and viscous. Mint. Licorice, soft vanilla, tarry peat, lemon cake and icing.
    • Finish
      92 92
      Syrupy fruits, same as above. Salted caramel, soft licorice. Soft tarry peat and lemon builds into medicinal peat, old herbal liqueur, iodine and gauze. Great dram. Long finish.

  44. dramidaris scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  45. WhiskyJpg scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      91 91

  46. Dominique69 scored this whisky 91 points Photo Moderator

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  47. Sylvia scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      89 89

  48. huseeraaja scored this whisky 87 points Member Senior

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  49. Calmar scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    This release is closest in spirit and temperament to the 18-year-old, more developed and in-depth, of course, but clearly continuing the line, you can feel the beating of life in it, something that was missing in the previous two releases (25-year-olds of 2007 and 2008), but it turned out to be simpler, a lack of sherry in this regard is felt.
    • Nose
      Restrained, moist, marine and mineral notes, ash, stone chips, raw stones; light smoky peat shades, shoe cream, subtle creamy shades, butterscotch.
    • Taste
      Dense, saturated, oak, varnish, peat, ash, creamy notes, fudge, boiled condensed milk, cola, pepper wave, mineral water, light sulfur tones, coal.
    • Finish
      Spicy, invigorating, oak, a little peat and haze, sweet creamy notes, cola, exploding caramel, metallic sourness.

  50. thijs100 scored this whisky 85 points Connoisseur

    It is subtle and less peated than modern Laphroaig, which is to be expected after such a long time in the cask. Yet, where's the extra complexity that should come from the quarter century of maturation?
    • Nose
      Coastal and peaty, with a hint of liquorice, brine and paraffin, yet there's room for other aromas. Mush bananas and ripe oranges, but also pears.
    • Taste
      Very sweet with ripe mangos and sweet refined sugar, followed by dry ashy and peaty notes. A touch of tar, but all very restrained. A hint of lemon zest too, as well as a bit of liquorice root. The mouthfeel is a bit thin.
    • Finish
      Medium in length. Touches of salt and pepper, lingering ashes and green olives.

  51. ZhengMoMo scored this whisky 88 points Member Junior

    Very friendly Laphroaig, soft, elegant, rich in smell, beautiful, relatively simple, but very comfortable. As a 25-year-old whisky, it is actually a bit disappointing.
    • Nose
      89 89
      Lightly smoked, cut tobacco, iodine, caramel, gently sea breeze noodles, oak, white pepper, pencil shavings, lemon, vanilla, cream, dried flowers, wine is not very unrestrained
    • Taste
      88 88
      Smoked soft, light iodine, sea salt activates the taste buds, the sweetness of caramel makes the overall taste very comfortable, a touch of white pepper, sensation of vanilla, dark chocolate, mint
    • Finish
      88 88
      Long aftertaste, smoked, iodine, sea salt, caramel

  52. EinSpatzUnterVielen scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    A classic, creamy and dainty, a bit too round and pleasing perhaps.
    • Nose
      91 91
      Laphroaig gauze bandages and antiseptics, smoke, peaches, mirabelles, Galia melon, apple, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, lavender, vanilla; After a while he changed again with tang, damp planks, oysters, more peach
    • Taste
      92 92
      creamy, with ginger, smoke, antiseptics, mirabelle plums, apple, galia melon, peach, sweet cherries, dark chocolate, some lavender petal, lots of vanilla and eucalyptus, tobacco, tar, nori leaves, oysters and green tea
    • Finish
      90 90
      long, sweet and smoky, tarry, with eucalyptus ... and a little more peach

  53. Thermidor scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    I like this better than I've liked the previous OB 25yos I've tried, but wouldn't buy it for more than the £220 I paid, which seems a bit steep in itself. I've been hovering between 89 and 91 points, and now that the bottle is 3/4 empty, 90 seems to be a good compromise, because on some days it just shines, and on others it leaves me wanting. Good stuff anyway, worth a try certainly. Like a big brother to the 18yo, with a fruity twist from the oloroso casks.
    • Nose
      Woodsmoke, vanilla ice cream, allspice, bandages, iodine, and a fruity sweetness from the sherry. The vanilla reminds me of Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist. Nosed next to a less cask-forward whisky of the same age (Port Askaig 25yo), you can easily spot the sherry undercurrent, and the bold woodiness of first-fill bourbon.
    • Taste
      The peat's strongly present on the tongue, but instead of the harshness I remember from the 2011 edition, it has been tempered well by both age and sherry, so that it's pervasive, not invasive. Rather than burning your tastebuds with raking peatiness, it gently submerges them into a vast lake of tar and sooty smoke. The longer you hold it on your tongue, the more obvious the presence of slightly vinegary, slightly fruity sherry becomes.
    • Finish
      Smoke and mixed fruit juice (grapes, passionfruit, papaya). A wisp of ammonium chloride, some ashes, and sweet tar.

  54. Steven79 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  55. DavidH. scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  56. Othorion scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  57. Kensay scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Stunning nose, very delicate, delicate sea notes, ripe oranges, meadow herbs, a bit of medicine and iodine, when more peat notes appear, the nose is constantly changing, amazing
    first whisky spice, then butter and light peat notes
    The finish is long, quite delicate, spices, ripe peach, orange peel, pineapple

    Very interesting molt, although the nose promised more than gave the taste. It is a pity that so expensive ...

  58. stefsel111 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      88 88
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  59. WSP scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  60. MikerG2k scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  61. Hvdree scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      90 90

  62. hs305 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    [September 2018] After more than 25 Glenfarclas tastings over the course of the last weeks my taste buds demand "and now something completely different" (you remember Monthy Python?). And this is it, surely...

    ...the 2017 edition of a classical Laphroaig that I bought for 267 Euro recently. While I did not like any of the modern NAS Laphroaig editions that are extremely wood-driven with sometimes rather immature or flawed spirits (by the way, I do not call them whisky anymore but "woodsky") - I really adore the old-style distillate-driven Laphroaig that seems to be gone forever since the Beam management took over the control of this fine distillery. This edition is an excellent example of how great Laphroaig was, once ago. It is a truly complex, greatly balanced and very, very quaffable dram that is worth even today's very high prices. Get your hands on a bottle of this fine stuff if you like this old Laphy style (and you can afford it) - because this Laphroaig profile will be gone forever in about ten years from now, sadly...

    [November 2022] I donated a bottle to a community charity tasting "Islay before the boom - drams of the last century". I fully confirm my old review and score.
    • Nose
      91 91
      The colour is yellow gold, and the nose offers an almost perfectly balanced profile of maritime peaty, fruity, barley sugary, spicy and herbal aromas with not a single off-note. The wood is just about right to provide an appropriate backbone for the distillate's flavours, but it never dominates. After some breathing more peat aromas pop up that are very delicious in combination with the sweet fruity and sugary flavours.
    • Taste
      92 92
      The taste is multi-layered and shows Laphroaig at its best - first there is an overwhelming sweetness of ripe fruits and barley sugars that immediately is countered by an attack of dry peaty flavours (cold smoke, medicinal notes). Later spices and herbs enter the stage together with tobacco and tea leaves. There is much more to detect in this truly complex profile so take your time and chew this dram as long as you can withstand the temptation to swallow it. Water turns both the nose and taste smoother and hence even more quaffable - but nevertheless I like the neat dram best.
    • Finish
      90 90
      The initial mouthfeel is charming and warming and coats the whole of the mouth with just a minor drying moment (tannins). The finish is long and adds more smoky flavours (bonfire, tobacco smoke) that are tasty in this setting. There is a drying-astringent feeling towards the end of the finish, but this just drives you to serve your taste buds the next dram (which is very dangerous for your bank account, indeed!).

  63. Sandman scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    Medicinal, smoke, oak, baked apples, little turfo, nuts, lemon, raisins and chocolate.

  64. Murxus scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    @Andytka3 lol What did you have in your glass at this bar??? You´re a violet shirt so I should hopefully assume you´re no rookie...

    fresh opened bottle, so no deep notes - despite this deepness is doubtless in my glass. A consequent fellow to my beloved 18yo, but the price tag ;...(
     

  65. checkpointuk scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    http://kaypingers-whiskyblog.de/frontend/fullarticle.php?id=303 Color: straw yellow Nose: lime, mango, papaya, lychee .... yeah, we have a Laphroaig in the glass. Tropical fruits, leather, smoke, vanilla and only a mild, almost peat-free spice. Here is missing entirely the typical Islay character! A mild-fruity brew lined with dull aromas. Taste : Spicy, peppery and now with the right ingredients. Salt, peaty phenols and the smoke are present here. Lime and apple with a little lemon oil and seaweed. Tending to become slightly woody. Finish: Medium-long - still slightly spicy and delicately shaped by oak. Getting fresher with mint and eucalyptus. The fruit content is now completely gone and a smoky freshness remains on the palate. 89 points N: 89P / G: 90P / F: 89P

  66. kimmosuo scored this whisky 84 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      84 84
    • Finish
      84 84

  67. Andytka3 scored this whisky 68 points Connoisseur

    N- Trademark brine, sun baked oyster shell, seaweed biscuit, vegetal, soft coal smokes with mellow antiseptic, some buttermilk. But appeared tired, mild and soft on nose with just the raw spirit heat.

    P- Cream, milky, charred grilled ripe strawberry, brine and mineral, toasted mixed spices with modern sugary sweet herbs.

    F- Medium, remarkably spotless. Nutty, remains briny and vegetal. But dominant with the cheap syrupy hollow sweetness. Scattered with some quality here and there, but considering this is a 25YO at handsome price, a big let down.

    — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.
    • Nose
      82 82
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      80 80

  68. Dionysus scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      92 92

  69. dram-drinker scored this whisky 91 points Photo Moderator

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      92 92

  70. dram-drinker scored this whisky 91 points Photo Moderator

    Quite balanced, less medicinal than typical for Laphroaig - actually very good
    • Nose
      Citric, peaty, iodine, cinnamon, a bit meaty, cooked vegetables, whiffs of cocoa
    • Taste
      Oily, creamy, peat and smoke, ham and bacon, fruity, citrus fruits, good sweetness
    • Finish
      Long and warm, not drying

  71. Blake or Mortimer? scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    Very much to my li(c)king. One extra point because I was looking forward to a new Laphroaig bottling of this quality, having been a little (...) disappointed by most of the recent ones. Considering the price explosion, this one stays just about affordable. At least when comparing to the 27y limited edition.

    Ooops, forgot to add water. You know what ? Forget it too, it simply doesn't need any. 
    • Nose
      Fruits, brime and a little hint of smoky chocolate (somebody needs to invent that) lingering behind. Nice roundness, alcohol well hidden.
    • Taste
      Aaaargh, finally I found it back, the really, really good, old Laphi-feeling, and - of course - it had to be an expensive one : Peach, brime, a little ... vanilla, white pepper and smoke. Then some apple with cinnamon with just one drop of lemon. Smoked Apple cider with a little ooomph, someone ?
    • Finish
      Long and nice. Smoke, pepper, cinnamon and citrusy apple (maybe a hint of pineapple ?). 

  72. Blake or Mortimer? scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      92 92

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