The Cairdeas line under Laphroaig was created to celebrate the Friends of Laphroaig, with the word being Gaelic for friendship. The Friends of Laphroaig is similar in some ways to other scotch loyalty clubs (e.g. the Ardbeg Committee) but is a little unique in that there are actually membership levels. Those levels are gained by inputting points gained by purchasing – what else? – bottles of Laphroaig and other distillery products. The three levels of membership are, perhaps unsurprisingly, Peat, Smoke and Oak. The Cairdeas 2021 is a cask strength scotch that began maturation in standard ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to smaller quarter casks for more wood influence and then finished in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead casks.
Distillery: Laphroaig
Region: Islay
Age: NAS
Strength: 58.9%
Price: $89.99
Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-PX sherry casks
Location: Port Ellen
Nose: Smoke, raisin, prunes, malt syrup, yeast, brown sugar, mint, brine
Palate: Smoke, brine, mince meat, molasses, peat, oak
Finish: Cinnamon, iodine, peat, wintergreen
Comments: Leave this out in the glass a bit. Then leave it a little longer. Go into another room and forget about. When you remember and come back, it should be about ready for you.
Adam – What a sherried nose this Cairdeas 2021 has. The nose does not blast you with alcohol. Rather, you get pungent sherry before the Islay elements like smoke and brine come next. The entire identity is of balance. The elements of the PX are not diminished and help cover a multitude of sins. Very close to the travel retail Laphroaig PX Cask in components but at cask strength. It could be so easy for the peat and brine to blast but they don’t even at such strength. It is so balanced, letting all these delicious elements shine in their time without anything wilting or having an off note. These are just no weak elements here.
Kate – When the Cairdeas 2021 first hits my tongue before I open up my nasals passages, that sweet fruit hits, but so does that medicinal part. It opens up and then the smoky and medicinal flavors come through. I keep getting hot honey on the nose, the sweet and spicy along with the clean sawdust wood and smoke but the sweetness is very forward. Even the color is beautiful! They did a wonderful job blending this; with how sweet the PX influence can be and how salty the base Laphroaig is, to strike the right note down the middle lets you know these people know what they’re doing.
Henry – The finish starts on the nose. Ripe fruit, baking spices, compote, and brown sugar. Only after the dessert is served does the smoke and brine make an appearance. Don’t rush this one. Palate enters with a vengeance. Balanced peat, sweetness, and brine play really well together. This is not a shy whisky, but even in its strength, it has no rough edges. There is heat, but no burn. Even the finish is well-balanced, with a pleasant char with hints of wintergreen and cinnamon. Merry Christmas to my senses.
Ben – There’s a little bitter at the finish and it dries up.
There’s the poke and then the peat, so it reminds me of a little bit of brisket.
Bill – Hints of a mincemeat pie, before the spices are added. The stewed down fruit. This gets better and better and better the longer it sits in the glass.
Mike – Really good. When I poured this, I wondered if the Cairdeas 2021 was even scotch at first.
Evelyn – On the second nosing, I get candied almonds. Burnt sugar, the homemade ones. I’ll drink smoky molasses any day.
Sam – There’s a molasses-y stone fruit thing going on, like brewer’s malt. Oh boy, this is like drinking BBQ. There’s the poke and then the peat, so it reminds me of a little bit of brisket.
