Ardbeg is a distillery that loves its marketing. This is not a slight against the distillery, just a fact of the marketplace. But Ardbeg likes to have fun with their one-off yearly committee releases. No two are alike and they are not afraid to embrace a story. Even if it involves flavor dragons and terrible puns. The Ardbeg Scorch is their 2021 committee release and the box is bedecked with artful flavor dragons breathing, presumably, flavor fire. The Scorch in the name derives from the heavy char Ardbeg gave to the barrels this scotch matured in for an undisclosed period of time. Whether you embrace the fanciful story or not, however, the flavor abides.
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2020 Port & Wine
The first Laphroaig Cairdeas (“friendship” in Gaelic) came out in 2008 and has been an annual release since then. The 2020 Cairdeas Port & Wine represents a way to introduce wine finishes to a smoky scotch, something that is not always successful given the strong elements of a typical Laphroaig. To solve this, part of the initial maturation was done in ex-bourbon casks and part in second-fill ruby Port barriques. These are then combined to finish in red wine casks. Specifics about the time spent in each process is not available but that is relatively common in No Age Statement whiskies.
Laphroaig 16 Year
This was first released during in 2015 to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary but has now become an occasional release. Nothing extra is done to this offering except taking the base spirit and aging it a few years beyond the normal. Oh, Laphroaig! How polarizing are your scotches. Some say you taste like diesel fuel. Others, adore your peaty, smoky, medicinal qualities. Who is the most medicinal of them all? Even the Kilbride Stream adds an extra peaty layer to your whisky. Where shall Laphroaig 16 fall on this spectrum? Find out what we thought and share your thoughts, too.