Laphroaig 1967/1968 rotations for The Carlton Company, US 10 Year Old, Sherry & Bourbon Cask, 1968, 45.7%

cinnamon_notebook25 Sept

The appeal here is the shift from a delicate, sherried nose to a punchy, briny palate. Tobacco and tea run through both, moving from tobacco leaves on the nose to sweeter tobacco and smoked tea on the palate. Toffee gives the salt a counterpoint, while the finish brings sweetness and smoke together with liquorice. There is a less approachable side to the nose: motor oil and turpentine sit among the leather, pastry and almond sweetness. Those notes may divide opinion, but they also make the contrast with the sweeter palate more interesting. For a preference that leans toward straightforward malt or oak, this would be a different direction; the supported character is coastal, earthy and smoky rather than restrained. The long finish gives that contrast room to carry through.

tidepool_pebble27 Aug

The Sherry & Bourbon Cask pairing catches my interest alongside the stated sherried character. The nose sounds delicate but unusual. Tobacco leaves and almond sweetness sit beside cigar ashes, motor oil, and sea air. On the palate, brine and salt shift toward sweeter tobacco, smoked tea, and a little toffee. That contrast gives it more going on than a straight sweet or smoky style. The long finish keeps toffee and liquorice with smoke. The named casks are appealing, though I would not claim which one brings which note.