Review #830 - SMWS 29.285 'Fabulous Fusion' - Laphroaig 23 Year

As peated whiskies get older, the level of smokiness tends to mellow out. One of our favorite peated brands to taste at 20+ years old is Laphroaig: the medicinal, heavily peated distillate sometimes takes on a more subtle yet rich character in our experience. Because of the age and rarity, though, this sort of bottle tends to command a very high price.

This specific single cask of Laphroaig from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society was aged for a total of 23 years. The first 20 years were spent in an ex-bourbon hogshead, but that was followed with roughly 3 years in a first fill STR (shaved, toasted, recharred) Oloroso sherry barrique; because of that, we're expecting some fruity character with the peat smoke and the older oak notes.

The strength is still a solid 55.2% ABV after those 23 years of aging; this cask yielded a total of 194 bottles, which came with a price of $695 each in the US.

SMWS 29.285 'Fabulous Fusion' - Laphroaig 23 Year

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 695 (2022)

Age Statement: 23 Years

Strength: 55.2% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a first fill STR Oloroso sherry barrique

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled May 13, 1998; 194 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 16 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: A mixture of peat, charred wood, sea salt, and floral scents like heather. Dark, deep wine notes come next: Burgundy wine, plums, dark chocolate, even a bit of fudge. Smoked pears, iodine, and balsamic vinegar come with time, and we also get orange soda, syrupy cranberry, and creosote. It's quite decadent.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; despite the age of this whisky, the peat influence is still relatively strong. Grilled jalapenos, wood smoke, oak tannins, cinnamon, and wood char add spicy notes, while dried cranberries, red wine sangria, cherry, and barbecue sauce add a sweeter side.

Finish: Savory barbecue, wood smoke and ash, and relatively strong peat linger. Molasses, maple syrup, strawberries and vanilla bring sweetness, but oak tannins, orange oil, creosote, and spirity character add a sharper side. Rose petals, salt, and black pepper linger in the aftertaste; it's a long finish.

Final Note: This is a delicious single malt from Laphroaig and the SMWS. The peat smoke is still surprisingly strong considering the 23 years in the cask, but then again, Laphroaig is one of the most heavily peated single malts, so maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise. There's a great, sweet red fruit side to this as well due to the Oloroso cask influence, but the fact that it's also a STR cask shows in the strong wood smoke notes and the tannic side. Great stuff, a bottle that we would savor for a long time.

Value for this bottle isn't great, despite the very high score. Even for a whisky this good, a price around $700 is asking a lot; there are other well-aged Laphroaigs, even official bottlings, that are available for less than this. It's great whisky, but you're definitely paying for that privilege; there's more value to be found elsewhere.

Our Rating: 9.1 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 4.06

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Check out our other Laphroaig reviews:

Review #772 - Laphroaig Lore Re-Review

Review #760 - Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Review #630 - Single Cask Nation 'Williamson' (Laphroaig) 8 Year Single Cask

Review #555 - Laphroaig 10 Year

Review #529 - Laphroaig Cairdeas White Port and Madeira

Review #503 - Laphroaig Cairdeas Warehouse 1

Review #490 - Single Malts of Scotland Laphroaig 9 Year Single Cask

Review #446 - Laphroaig Elements L2.0

Review #445 - Laphroaig Elements L1.0

Review #412 - Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks Laphroaig 7 Year

Review #299 - Laphroaig 16 Year