Side by side with Laphroaig 25 (2017) which I rate one point higher.

I think Laphroaig does really well in larger batches (ie: 25 year, 10 cask strength). Sometimes single casks can be a little too rough; however every once in a while you’ll get a knockout. At least that’s my experience. If you asked me to pick a 25 year old OB I would probably put this one in the top 5, but it’s also one of the top popular distilleries that charge the big premium. So while it’s really great, there are many many options at this price range.

[August, 2019] ...the missing link! I drank a bottle each of the 25-years old Laphroaig releases from 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018 and now I was able to get a sample of the 2016 edition, finally...

...and it is the missing link between the fruity-complex 2014/15 editions and the more peaty-straightforward 2017/18 releases (at least in the nose). But it owns a somewhat strange chemical off-note in both taste and finish that I do not like (and I am not sure if this is genuine or if just the sample was spoiled, so take my rating with caution). If I come across a further sample I will check this...

Tasted side by side with the 2017 edition, I find this one to be almost the same whisky, just a little bit sweeter, with the peat coming out a bit rougher with water, while 2017 has more vanilla. All in all, a good whisky, best enjoyed on good nose days when you can pick up all the detail properly. I can't rate the 2016 and 2017 differently, both are 89-90 pts. whiskys depending on the day. Buy the one you get for less money :) I think both the 2016 and 2017 are a fair bit better than the early 2010s 25yo releases.

If you've never tasted a Laphroaig beyond their 10yo and NAS bottlings, be advised that this stuff is a fair bit more gentle and nuanced, with the (discontinued?) 18yo acting as a bridge between the styles. What you get here is a faintly acidic dram with medicinal peat, band-aids, some vanilla sauce, vinegar-y sherry, age-rounded soft oak, plaster, and a faintly fishy smoke, with an easygoing but lasting finish.

Thanks to member GIORGOS for the sample!

A quite simple dram with only an elegant body pointing at the age. All in all youthful, not tasting very mature.
You could also open a bottle of 10yo, let the spirit breathe for some months and save ten times the money ...