Battlehill Laphroaig 10 Review

The first time I tried the Battlehill Laphroaig 10 was at a Malt Nuts Laphroaig Tasting we did in 2017. In the context of everything we had that night it was a bit… meh. Having it on its own in a controlled environment (my apt) I feel… a bit meh about it still. Better than I did that initial night, but we’ll get into that more in the review below.

Battlehill, if you’re not familiar with it, is an IB label by Duncan Taylor. It’s not one of their premium lines, but more of an “everyday drinking” line and it fills a niche of bringing some uncommon malts to the mass market at a price most people can handle.

Battlehill Laphroaig 10 Review: Details and Tasting Notes

Battlehill Laphroaig 10 price, ABV, age and other details

Region: Islay, Scotland

Distiller: Laphroaig
Bottler: Battlehill (Duncan Taylor)
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46%

Price: $55

Battlehill Laphroaig 10 Tasting Notes

EYE
Gold

NOSE
Honey, fruit, peat, malt, spice, plastic, vanilla and some light mineral and floral notes.

PALATE
Honey, malt, peat, orchard fruit, spice, plastic, vanilla, mineral and a touch of citrus.

FINISH
Long -> Peat, fruit and copper.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and a soft velvety feel.

Battlehill Laphroaig 10 Review: OVERALL

So here’s the deal. The Battlehill Laphroaig 10 is a fine whisky, but the standard, OB, Laphroaig 10 is $10 cheaper and a couple points better; I’m having a hard time seeing what niche they’re filling. Are there really a lot of people wandering around saying “you know, I like the Laph 10, but I really wish I could pay more for a less impressive version of it”? I just don’t see how this would be a profitable business line.

Sure it’s 3% higher in ABV (46% compared to OB L10 @ 43%), but it’s still not a significant enough to make it worth $10 more. All that said, it’s not bad, it’s not trash by any means. The aroma is fruity and industrial with a good smoky backbone and the palate follows suite with a finish that fades out to a smoky copper character. Not bad, but not $10 better than OB L10.

SCORE: 86/100 (B)