First Editions Laphroaig 2004 16 Year Old

First editions, and first-rate. Part of Edition Spirits, this is a wonderfully complex Laphroaig 2004 single malt whisky. A single cask offering, this is a wonderfully undisturbed dram. Bottled at cask strength, free from chill filtration and artificial colouring, only 119 bottles of this liquid have been made. It spent its 16-year-long maturation in a refill hogshead cask and has been bottled in 2021. Presented at 57.1% abv, this is Laphroaig at its best.

A complex nose awaits, with medicinal, herbaceous notes complementing notes of orchard fruits. The palate leads with iconic Islay peat smoke, with the Laphroaig iodine in the background. The finish is warm, and is as long as you would expect.