Laphroaig An Cuan Mor is one of Laphroaig’s travel retail bottles and it’s made from their typical peated distillate which starts off being aged in first fill ex-Bourbon barrels and then gets finished in European Oak. Translated from Gaelic, Au Cuan Mor means Big Ocean and that’s exactly what it delivers – a big ocean of sensory enveloping aromas and flavors. No joke, this the main reason I go to Laphroaig tastings because Simon almost always has a bottle of it hiding in his wellies.
Laphroaig An Cuan Mor is a No Age Statement whisky, but I’ve read on more than one site that this is made from stocks of Laphroaig 18 finished in sherry casks. There’s nothing official about it and when I asked Simon (brand rep) about it at the last Laphroaig tasting he didn’t confirm that was the case, but he didn’t fully deny it either… Regardless of whether it’s 8 or 18 years it’s a well executed whisky and at the end of the day that’s what really matters.
Laphroaig An Cuan Mor Info
Region: Isaly, Scotland
Distiller: Laphroaig
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: First Fill ex-Bourbon & European Oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 48%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: $100 – Travel Retail
Laphroaig An Cuan Mor Review
EYE
Burnt orange
NOSE
Big burly peat complimented with notes of salt, iodine, caramel, butterscotch and red fruit with a lovely malty sweetness tying it all together. A nice aroma all around.
PALATE
Peat, salt, iodine, spice and a nice fruity sweetness loll across the palate and give way to light notes of dark sweets and dried strawberries.
FINISH
Long and winding fade of peat, iodine, charred citrus and a fruity malty sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, medium body and a warm rich soft texture.
OVERALL
I love the Laphroaig An Cuan Mor and wish I could actually get it outside of travel retail. The nose is captivating, I could sit and sniff it for hours, the flavor is inviting and rich and the finish fits perfectly. I already mentioned this above, but I’m serious when I say that An Cuan Mor is one of the main reasons I go to every official Laphroaig tasting I can. I know it will be there and I know if I give the rep the ol’ sad whisky blogger eyes I might score a second glass… emphasis on might.
This is a great example of No Age Statement done right and its only major downfalls are the relative inability to secure a bottle and its slightly inflated price tag. $120 is a tad pricy for this, but that’s how travel retail works. However, I would immediately hand over $100 hard earned dollars at my local specialty shop should the chance arise. Let’s hope that’s already in the works and their travel retail testing ground proves successful and brings the Big Ocean to the mass consumer like it did the Triple Wood.
SCORE: 89/100
