Monday, August 23, 2010

Laphroaig Quarter Cask


Laphroaig Quarter Cask
ABC stock 005433 $57.90

Nathan: Ah. Smells like Laphroaig! I pick up some light peat smoke, maybe some citrus. While it is sweet smelling, it burns the nose and hints of the higher alcohol content to come. Keeping the jug of Tums by the bed tonight.

Jen: When Nate first brought out the glass and I took my initial breath all I could really smell is the typical antiseptic scent of Laphroaig. However after letting it sit for a minute and open up in the glass I had a pleasant surprise of a strong sweet vanilla sent with a hint of smokiness.

Straight

Nathan: As soon as I tip the glass up, the smoke rolls in and sits on my tongue a minute. Not too strong, not too soft. As it hits my lips, it burns slightly...straight down and gently warming. On the tongue, it's pretty dry, sweet, with a hint of malt. I think straight up is perfect for this. I almost don't want to try it with ice or water.

Jen: As it hits my mouth I immediately can feel the smokiness fill my mouth with the taste of smoked peat. It goes down very smoothly and has a finish of smoke with a hint of sweetness that lingers on minutes after it has gone down.

Diluted

Nathan: Diluted, I can see the color change characteristics as soon as the water hits. Again, we're mixing 1oz to 1/2oz scotch/water. In the future, a smaller amount of water will probably serve better. Something to grow on. Then again, I don't have time to be that fancy. The nose has calmed down a good bit, losing the alcohol smell but bringing out the sweet mellow smoke. It doesn’t burn on the initial sip, but the finish has a small kick. I pick up more hints of malt and less smoke now though.

Jen: Diluted the nose loses the antiseptic smell and immediately I pick up the sweet vanilla scent. The taste... as it hits my lips and goes down I can definantly tell that the water has calmed down the intenseness of smoked peat and lingering sweetness of this scotch. However compared to straight I feel diluted almost does the complete opposite of the taste. For me, I pick up more of the sweetness diluted and less of the smokiness. Which in my opinion isn't as good; I would say they have diluted it to perfection before bottling this one.

Iced

Nathan: With a bit of ice, the nose is about the same as being diluted. Not that it has sit for more than a minute, but it mellows it out immediately. Overall, I think ice puts this Scotch in Ninja Mode. Nothing, then POW! A kick, and then gone in a flash of smoke, and you're left wondering what just happened. WHERE'D MY SCOTCH GO?!

Jen: Iced is how I usually prefer my Scotch, but I think with this one I am going to say straight. As far as the nose I will have to say I concur with Nate it is about the same as diluted. With the initial sip I must say I enjoy the coolness of the scotch being chilled, that may be because its summer. However I must say with being chilled it mellows out this scotch so much that I don't pick up much of anything as I take a drink, and the finish is as disappointing.