Laphroaig 25 Year Single Cask Nation Single Barrel Scotch Whisky

My Price: $600

Distillery: Laphroaig

Country/Area: Islay, Scotland

Proof/ABV: 116.6 proof/58.3% ABV

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Barrel: Used Bourbon Barrel

Age: 25 Years

Nose: Cheerios, Smoke, Salt, Iodine

Taste: Vanilla Fudge, Barbecue, Salty Smoke

Review: Years and years ago I remember seeing a bottle of Laphroaig 25 Year locked in a glass case at a liquor store in Oregon. The price tag was $1,199.95. That was a crazy price and I vowed one day, once I bought a house, to celebrate by buying a bottle. 2 years post home ownership, with savings still not as saved as I’d like and plenty to do around the house, I had still not picked up a bottle.

One fateful December day while watching the Whiskey Vault on YouTube, Daniel, the host, remarked on a Single Cask Nation online release of a Single Barrel of Laphroaig 25 Year that was selling for $600. Thinking this was a half priced bottle of Laphroaig 25 year, I jumped at the chance to purchase it. Upon receiving the bottle I did check to see how much the price of Laphroaig 25 had gone up in Oregon and it turned out they were selling between $600-$750. None-the-less I was excited to have such an age statement from a legacy distillery sitting on my shelf. In early January we hosted a Holiday party and I opened the bottle with a few friends who really enjoy scotch. We started by tasting the off the shelf Laphroaig 10 year which is a classic for a reason. Next I poured from the Single Cask Nation bottle and with eyes wide we sipped and savored. Sadly for me, it was an underwhelming experience. From what I’ve learned online, smoky scotches can tend to mellow out as far as the smoke goes over time. The “aggressive” smoke of the 10 year Laphroaig was much more up my alley compared to the smooth and almost mellow 25 year. Thankfully my friends enjoyed it and as I’ve come back to try a dram here and there it has been a pleasant experience, just not one worth $600. Cheers!

My Rating: Sip someone else’s if you have a chance.

Ratings Scale:

-Spit: Don’t bother with this one. If a friend gives you a dram of it, are they even your friend?

-Shoot: Good enough to get you drunk

-Sip: Tasty enough to enjoy neat or on the rocks.

-Stock: I’d recommend keeping a bottle on hand.