Penny for Your Thoughts - Laphroaig Lore, Bowmore 18, Tomintoul 12
I’ve tackled all the new whiskies we tried on our most recent trip a bit out of order. These reviews actually come from the first half of our vacation, including two we tried at Selfridges, the high-end shopping mall in Mayfair. Selfridges mostly deals in luxury brands, but the bottom floor consists of home goods and a pretty impressive wine and spirits section. In case there's any doubt about how high end Selfridges’ selection is, they have several bottles of Karuizawa for sale. While that was just a few thousand pounds out of our price range (ha!), the store also had a machine that dispenses small samples of more reasonably priced scotches and wines so that customers could try them before buying.
Laphroaig Lore (48% ABV) - Lore is somewhat controversial among longtime lovers of the distillery who see it as a harbinger of an uncertain future. Laphroaig has gradually eliminated its age statement offers besides the flagship 10-year offering. The 15 went the way of the dinosaur, came back as a special release in 2015, and now is gone again. The 18 followed last year, so it’s still available in some places but no longer being produced. The successor to Laphroaig 18, in price at least, is Lore, which has no age statement but commands a hefty $100-125. Happily, it does a credible job of justifying that bill, although I’d advise real fans to stick to the cheaper and punchier Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength. Lore is an example of no-age-statement whisky done right. The heavy smoke and brine that wafts of the glass is enticing. While that powerful peat likely comes from young liquid, Laphroaig has selected or balanced the other components to mask any of the downside of that less refined scotch. The richness of the palate, which has a pecan pie quality combined with caramel or toffee notes that reminded me of a bourbon, is first-rate. Blackberries and other dark fruits delight the tongue while that smoke prevents it from becoming saccharine. Strong kick at the finish: smoke, brine, cocoa nibs. The marriage of different woods here produces a best-of-both-worlds effect rather than the master-of-none mediocrity of Select. If you purchased and blended together Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength and PX Cask, I suspect you'd get something close to Lore. A-
Bowmore 18 (43%) - The Bowmore core line features a wide range of flavor profiles due to different finishing techniques, rather than merely relying on age to alter the nature of their scotches. Islay single malts invariably mellow out as they age, and this Bowmore is no exception. But, in addition to that effect from aging, the 15- and 18-year drams both feature longer sherry-cask aging. The unsherried 12-year old dram leans heavily on minerality and coppery notes, with minimal sweetness. The 18's combination of higher age and sherry finishing mellows out the peat smoke considerably. This may be the fruitiest Islay scotch I've tasted, with a nose full of berries and zesty melon. There is smoke, of course, but it's a distant or peripheral effect rather than front and center. The palate and finish continue playing with fruit flavors, including berries and perhaps even passion fruit or other tropical fruits at times, with the smoke giving the sensation of a Hawaiian barbecue. I'm missing some of the intensity I like from Islay scotches here. For those who like a gentler, fruitier scotch, but with a substantial smoke backbone, Bowmore 18 may be an ideal scotch for them. At $100-125, it's priced in the same range as most other 18-year old Islay scotches. B+
Tomintoul 12 (40%) - While on vacation, we had dinner with an old friend from college, who I hadn't seen in more than 8 years! Not only did he and his girlfriend cook us a delicious meal, they also introduced us to a great but underappreciated scotch (at least here in the U.S., where it's not widely available). Tomintoul is located in the Highlands, actually within the bounds of Cairngorms National Park. It bills itself as "the gentle dram," which is similar to the branding of Dalwhinnie, a fellow Highland scotch. Tomintoul's nose greets you with caramel macchiato, malt, and apple. With a sip, I detect light vanilla cream, apple, and confectioners sugar. The sherry emerges on the finish. Wow, the distillery needs to bottle this scotch at 46% to 48%. It would be a stunner in that ABV range. Where it’s available, it’s priced reasonably around $45, which represents great value. B