Laphroaig 32 was aged in 100% Oloroso sherry casks, hence the dark color, giving it that peat n sweet combo I’ve come to enjoy over the years. It hits the spot like you wouldn’t believe… too bad it’s $1,200. However, if you consider the current whisky market $1,200 isn’t THAT bad in an economy where the Macallan 25 goes for the same price and “da Pappieeez” can go for double that on the secondary market.
Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be running out to pick one up any time in the foreseeable future unless the paycheck at my day job magically doubles. Though in reality this whisky isn’t marketed to people like me or, likely, even you. It’s targeted to the kind of people that look at $1,200 like it’s $12 and can walk into a store and clear out an entire allocation themselves. Which is the exact scenario that happened to one of my favorite booze merchants with his. So it does indeed occur, just not by me.
Laphroaig 32 Info
Region: Islay, Scotland
Distiller: Laphroaig
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Oloroso
Age: 32
ABV: 46.6%
Natural Color
Price: $1,200*
Laphroaig 32 Review
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Toffee, dark dried fruit, peat, saline, iodine, a box of latex gloves and light notes of spice, metallic (copper?) and “tire shop”. It’s a dense aroma and takes some time and just a drop or three of water to get things to open up, but once it does… man.
PALATE
Hazelnuts, toffee, peat, dried fruit, a warm sweetness, some canada mints and char with light notes of roasted malt, grapefruit peel, canada mints, nougat, cocoa and light bit of something metallic. There’s also a slight tannic dryness to it as it passes on through.
FINISH
Long layers of peat, toffee, dried fruit, canada mint and a touch tannic… like green tea that’s been oversteeped by a minute or so.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, round full body and a thick oily feel.
OVERALL
The Laphroaig 32 is a big burly whisky with a sweet side, like a thug who does charity work on the weekend. This thick muscular whisky is the product of being aged in Oloroso sherry casks in a cozy part of the warehouse and when compared to the Laphroaig 18 it’s honestly a bit surprising it turned out so peaty. Compared to L18 the Laphroaig 32 is a monster.
The 18 is a gentler, softer peat and filled with crisp malty grapefruit notes – a rather austere whisky if you will. The 32 on the other hand seems to have not only retained all of its peat, which typically declines with age, but also seems to have have mugged some angles and stolen their share as they left the casks marked for the 18 year old. The Laphroaig 32 is not a sleeping giant – it’s fully awake and ready to cause a ruckus.
SCORE: 93/100
*Disclosure: This sample of Laphroaig 32 was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
