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terrific

The best Laphroaig has ever released in my opinion

20+ 20+ 21 21 83 A good winter drinking theme, or drink only on location... However, this is a common story for Cairdeas batches, and there is nothing surprising about it.

An excellent combination of sweetness and smoky peat, the PX finish is just right Reference price RMB-1200

The 2024 Càirdeas limited edition release is a 10-year-old Laphroaig with a bold combination of flavours from the casks of two popular previous releases: 2019’s Triple Wood and 2021’s PX Cask.

Great sweet malt if you like the smoke of Laphroaig. Other than the smoke, however, it has little spice and the sweetness has little fruit flavor.

The nose is a bit distant und closed, quite metallic with some dried fruits and a bit of smoke. On the palate it is quite sweet but the finish isn´t integrated very well. Feels like someone just poured some sherry into your 10 CS. Also there are some notes of applejuice I can't really put my finder on. Overall it just lacks density. It is not bad but I have expected more. Maybe it changes after sometime in an opened bottle. Otherwise this will make some great Hot Toddies.

Until you swallow, the Laphroig hides behind a sweet and dark fruit, only to pop up again very late. A nice sip

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2024, Cask Favourites, 52.4%. This is my sixth pour from this 70cl bottle May-June 2025, coded L4 079 SB1 2080 08:12. Dark amber bordering brown. Aroma is raisin and date syrup with an aggressive planky oakiness in the background. I’ve nosed this whisky over several evenings and I don’t get anything else. Body is lightly oily. Taste is iodine and dark cherry, planky American oak in the middle – over-oaked for sure. The Laphroaig spirit refuses to be fully drowned out even by the overly heavy-handed cask influence here. Pleasant medicinal linger with clove and cherry layered over the robust breathy medicinal spirit. Over time I have come to enjoy this a bit more than I did initially, but I still regret the purchase. The alternative was another bottle of CS10, or an independent bottling – oh, to have a straight-forward refill cask Laphroaig over a bottle of this. Laphroaig is my favourite spirit on the planet and this is just not a good expression – sometimes I think Beam Suntory don’t know what they’re blessed with. What is this, really? And why? It’s such a novelty-driven dram over flavour. Fine, create something new, but it has to taste good too. They're lucky they have such a good spirit. At least it didn’t break the bank too much, and I can cut this down half and half with some CS10 to make it more palatable. 3.4/81

A beautifully balanced Laphroaig. Fruity (yellow fruit, gooseberry, apricot) combined with the strong peat smoke and a pleasantly drying finish.

It tastes good; I personally think it tastes better than the 2025 Cairdea.

Is this the best Laphroaig Island Festival limited edition drink in recent years? Giving Taste 90 is a bit much, but I really like it. The wine changes quite quickly after opening, so I recommend drinking it as soon as possible (I didn't manage that).

Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Fav 10 52.4% - Aroma: Caramel, Smoke, Sherry, Wine Notes, Dried Dark Fruits, Red Fruits, Creamy, Buttery, Honey, I'm Not Enough, Over Time It Opens With Hospital Notes, Slightly Marine, A Little Delicate 89 Palate: Well Hidden Alcohol, Sweet, Sherry, Caramel, Lots Of Nuts, Chocolate, Dried Dark Fruits, Dried Plums, Sweet Dark Raisins, Dates, Sweet Coffee, Pleasant Peat, Medicinal Notes, Burnt Sugar, Heavy Honey 89 Finish: Medium Long, Peat, Boiled Condensed Milk, Buttercream, Milk Chocolate, Sweet Coffee, Medicinal Herbs 88 Very Interesting Whisky

89,00

Nutty, smoky, sweet, sea breeze

It's great that there are still Islay distilleries that bring reasonable bottlings to the market and still focus on quality. Give this dram some time in the glass and it will not disappoint you.

this whisky is after many times something, what is out of words. Just to try, fall in love, go to Islay and buy as a heritage!

81-85 – Wow, really good one

21.07.2024

Very successful Cairdeas and also with a proper age statement. I think it’s obvious that they are finally listening to what most people want these days: age statements, non chill filtered, higher ABV, fair pricing. Take note Ardbeg and Lagavulin.

It's been sitting around for ages and I've finally opened the bottle.

Gentle for an LP, but also somewhat boring. I usually like Cairdeas bottlings, but I'm not really into this one.

I keep coming back to this one after my second bottle and now realize this is truly a masterpiece of Laphroaig! Delicate, Delicious and packs so much flavor....what's not to love.

10CS batch1, Batch16, Cairdeas 2024 vertical review When I drank Laphroaig Batches 13, 14, 15, and 16 vertically, I remember thinking that 16 wasn't bad. However, when compared to Batch 1, it just felt like a deteriorated Laphroaig. Since I evaluated the score based on Batch 1, Batch 16 felt like it suffered in terms of score. The exquisite balance of Batch 1 was quite satisfying, but Batch 16 couldn't match this perfection. Even when I tasted it again, Batch 16 had too much oak nuance. As for Cardious 2024, the PX cask involvement created a completely different note composition from the 10 CS series, making a direct comparison a bit ambiguous. If I had to rate it, I would say that it is sweet and smooth, with a characteristic meaty feel created by the combination of PX sherry and peat.

I originally bought three to collect, but my collection was getting too big and I wanted to make some shelf space. I was surprised how quickly the two bottles I offered sold out—even though it was still readily available at Laphroaig for the original price. That piqued my curiosity, so I opened the last one. I'm glad I did.

It has an oily viscosity and its bouquet is very intense. I have aromas of intense, maritime peat smoke, raisin syrup, plum wine, pipe tobacco, vanilla, creme brulee, eucalyptus, licorice and citrus fruits. Moderately complex. Relatively sweet in taste. The alcohol is well integrated and it has a heavy body.

For my taste it's a bit too sweet, the PX influence is very strong. But it's still clearly recognizable as Laphroaig. I prefer the normal 10 year old Cask Strength.

My preference for Laphroaig is clearly maturation in ex-bourbon barrels, that's for now. Also for now, because this Càirdeas is a "blend" of two earlier Càirdeas - Triple Wood and PX - none of the Càirdeas of the past 10 years has convinced me less than the Càirdeas Triple Wood (87/100), the Càirdeas PX, on the other hand, was fine for me (89/100). The focus of the 2024 Càirdeas is clearly on the PX Càirdeas - so far, so good. However, I am still under the impression of the two Laphroaigs I tasted shortly before (Elements L2.0 and 16yo 2005/2022 MoM) and this Càirdeas just doesn't cut it. It's OK, but for a top scorer it's just too sweet, too berry-like, too PX-heavy. It's a good thing that the drop in Laphroaig is generally high. On a positive note, the new wooden cork is now so tight that it squeaks again when opened like it used to.

A very nice Càirdeas for the anniversary - I really like it! Lovers of the quarter cask and the ten-year-old cask strength may not get their money's worth here, but for my taste, Laphroaig and PX work wonderfully. And in this bottling, the PX notes are fortunately really wonderfully strong, deep and add a nice portion of sweetness - just as I had hoped. I can't find any sulphur in this bottling.

After 4 weeks in the half-taught sample, significantly better! [88~90] complex, interesting, fun, I can spend more time with it, "I want to have it" :-D

Really fine. All well integrated in a way that just works with the raw Laphroaig spirit. Comforting. N: Forest Fruit. Blackcurrants. Light Smoke. Milk Chocolate. Ginger. P: Plastic. Stewed Fruit. Apple. Peach. Toffee. Medicinal Peat. Cocoa. Marshmallows. F: Marshmallow. Stewed Fruit. Peat. Caramel Apple. Prickles.

The Okiham is too strong. Personally, I prefer 2023.

Like most modern peated whisky, initially I mostly just get smoke. So I wait. As I was taught, a dram doesn’t need water to open up, it needs temperature. As this dram gets closer to the temperature of my hand, it does reveal layers of aroma. I’m happy to get some herbs and slight medicinal notes. If only Laphroig would go back to fully peat fire drying, instead of just briefly smoking the wet malt, there would be a less guaiacol kind of smoke and more in your face medicine cabinet. A vintage Laphroaig I had a while back reminded me how much stronger that aroma could be. For now I’m quite happy to settle for this; Nice red fruit, European oak, decent level of smoke, herbal and maritime aromas all come through.

Lots of depth and tasteful for a 10yo

In my opinion, the rating of 88.6 is clearly too low. For me, this was one of the highlights of 2024. 91 points.

Smell: dried fruit, toffee, sweet sherry from PX, mixed with citrus and peat Tasting: strong and thick, sweetened cherry, dried fruit, tobacco, spices, licorice, long tail, tobacco, pepper spices, peat finish

A powerful dram that I really like.

Eye: Amber with a slight copper tint. Very thick lags running down the rim of the glass. Nose: Dark wood, with a very pleasant fruit acidity. Sweetness of forest honey and an intense cellar mustiness that I only know from very good old PX barrels. In the background there is leather that becomes increasingly more intense. The typical Laphroaig smoke is actually only noticeable here at first and is then superbly complemented by the previously mentioned notes. Now suddenly oranges in dark chocolate are added and now and again even a hint of grapefruit flashes up. The alcohol is practically non-existent in the nose. I am delighted by the complex nose and intense, almost syrupy smells. With a little water, a few fermented grapes come to the fore, but just right. Mouth: It starts off delicately and then builds up wood like in the nose. Then the fruit acid starts to work. It becomes incredibly creamy in the whole mouth. It builds up more and more and now shows the typical Laphroaig herbs that are slightly burnt. Thyme, sage, honey and grapefruit. Add to that a nice old damp leather cloth and a bit of campfire embers. With water it becomes even creamier in the mouth. Finish: Tobacco and lemon accompany the finish with a cinnamon spiciness that reminds you that you've just had a Laphi with a Talisker style chilli catch. The mouth tightens like a good dry red wine. But if you run your tongue through your mouth you can smell honey everywhere. At the very end you're left with the burnt herbs and a clear breath thanks to menthol. Conclusion: One of the most complex and best Laphis I have ever tried. Due to its complexity, it seems older than the 10 years it says on the label. The breakdown of the smoke into the various aromas also suggests that you could easily assume that this is 15 years old or older.

This is a successful Laphroaig that I like. It is not particularly complex, but the barrels were very active and reduced the gauze character so much that I like it. It is very intense and long-lasting. But water reveals a retouching finish and shows the younger Laphroaig character, which I no longer like. A whisky to drink neat. I think it is better than most Laphroaigs and definitely worth the money!

One of the best Feis Ile bottlings of recent years that I really like and, at 10 years old, has a wonderfully long finish. No off notes. Thank you Laphroaig!

This one is good, probably the best Cairdeas from last years. Almost no young notes, but still it is the young Laph... Complex and balanced. Not too winy, with lot of fruits dark and light and enough peat. To me it is much like PX Cairdeas but better, more balanced.

Even though it is diametrically different from what I imagined, I have to admit that I was very excited about this whisky. Despite expectations, there is only a slight hint of bandages and iodine, soft and fragrant smoke, but on the contrary, a lot of PX and sweet sherry. Full, dense, fantastic combination of dark chocolate, plum gingerbread, dates, maybe sweet chili and soft smoke. One of the best Laphy...

Of course it is peated, but not something rush. Suggest not adding water

Not really the best Laphroaig that I had. Not bad, but not what I am used of this distillery. Got a sample from a whisky friend at Whisky Festival Leiden this year.

much better than the 2023

A very pleasant, lively, rich whisky, with a decent palette of derivatives, good work of shades and halftones, an interesting composition and dynamics with the revelation of smoky-peaty notes.

89.00

sweet sherried laphie with refreshing spices and fruit and peat and smoke as an elegant background against which cream and choco rise nice

Delicious and easy to drink, remains very civilized for a Laphroaig. (First impression of the freshly opened bottle)

The first impression, immediately after opening the bottle: very sweet and oily. However, it lacks what defines Laphroaig for me: the direct, rough, powerful, full on the 12; everything I associate with Islay: character, bitter, sometimes harsh and somewhat inaccessible. This year's Cairdeas seems very soft, tamed, as if it wanted to please everyone. The typical phenolic notes are overshadowed by a sweetness that is overwhelming. It cannot stand a comparison with the 10 CS Batch 16. But... that's complaining at a high level... perhaps based on the underlying expectation that a Cairdeas must always be something special. It's not special - in the sense of very, very good. But it is special in the sense of being different from what you would expect from Laphroaig. In this way, the distillery shows that it is capable of surprising and of producing something different in terms of taste every now and then. Even if I'm not particularly impressed by the price of €95, it's on a par with previous years and is still OK compared to committee member bottlings from another beloved Islay distillery. Finally, I simply added a few drops of the 10CS B16... e voila..... now it makes sense :-)

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the malt is absolutely clean, there is no sulphur or other off-notes in the nose or taste. It works! By the way: As far as the choice of glass goes, I would recommend a 'The Nose' or a Blender's 1920 rather than a Glencairn. EYE/NOSE Visually, the whisky presents itself in a deep amber tone. The very typical Pedro Ximenez-driven Islay nose unfolds aromas of large raisins, dried dates, nuts, red grapes and black currants. The potpourri of aromas is already very pleasing on its own, but then the distillate enters the stage and adds another dimension. The peat smoke brings notes of smoked sausage and spices such as thyme and rosemary, complemented by a fine sweetness and the scent of coniferous wood, reminiscent of dark forest honey. PALATE Unexpectedly reserved at the beginning on the palate. Hey, where is the splendid, voluminous and intense Laphroaig mouthfeel? The alcohol is almost too well integrated. Extremely soft on the tongue. Once the initial surprise is over, the Càirdeas immediately scores points in terms of taste. Refreshing and slightly mentholated, with notes of red grape and blackberry jelly, raisins and cool, ashy peat smoke. An extremely pleasant Laphroaig. More steam would actually suit it well. FINISH/CONCLUSION Comparatively short finish for an Islay smoker, which almost reflects the gentle start. Oak spice meets mineral notes, oil and the cool, ashy peat smoke that runs like a thread through the entire taste experience. The dried fruits from the nose return, accompanied by a hint of smoked bacon and red fruits. Not super complex, but definitely multi-layered enough. Great warmth spreads through the mouth. So that's where the alcohol is. The chalky aftertaste is simply great, you feel compelled to pour yourself a generous refill. More notes and reviews on Facebook: #Maltkanzlei

, , Another oustanding Cairdeas, not like the yellow one Santori owners keeping the normla prices - unlike the Lagavulin 10 y festival bottling And the hand picked 10 y old becomes a thing in Laphroaig Just coming back from a tasting at the distillery where we were offered a variety of those exclusive cask strenght batches that are too modestly priced

Now in the glass for the 3rd time. Delicious, sweet, drinkable, berry syrup, caramelized tomato paste, smoke, a little herbal candy, slightly fresh currant, wonderfully harmonious with superbly integrated alcohol. ... ...also in the mouth, alcoholic, unobtrusive, sweet, berry-like, first a bit of whole milk, then dark chocolate, oak, herbs, smoke... ...it's dark and bitter, powerful, oak, darkest chocolate, it lingers for a while. I like it. It's so drinkable, you just want to enjoy it. That's why I'm only giving a few notes, but there are still some nice details to discover.

What a great laphroig

The case when the first impressions are bright, but later it becomes quite banal. Color: bronze / water-diluted espresso. The aroma is initially very rich. Lots of coconut flakes, hot chocolate with burnt marshmallows. Seafood, iodine, charred wood, wet wood. It becomes sweeter with water and berries appear in the smell. There is more smokiness in the taste, but there are actually no medicinal notes characteristic of Laphroaig. Full-bodied and sweet. Aftertaste: dry, tannic, medium in duration, with notes of hot mulled wine and coffee grounds. I like the aftertaste the least, because it feels like a young, hot malt. In general, it resembles either Brodir or PX. It seems to be done well, but it deflates quickly. And there is nothing to cling to. It is intended for a wow effect at the first tasting, but later it shows its true essence - it was formed "on paper" and not in the vats and in the hearts of the distillery workers. Engineered, with no soul.

Dramface Scoring Scale: Very Good Indeed (7/10)

good whisky, so to speak "gut gemacht". but no more it's nice that it's finally not us. it's nice that the price is not 200 euros however, too sweet, cloying. everything is aged in a PX barrel, and the character of Laphroaig, as well as other barrels, barely lingers behind the strong taste and aroma of the barrel. in terms of balance, there is a clear shift to a sweet run, the character of the distillery is almost not felt in the aroma, only in the taste. quite boring and predictable

A Less Peaty but More Aggressive Laphroaig The Quarter Cask shows surprising intensity! The integration of PX’s rich sweetness is commendable, but it comes at the cost of balance

This is truly a sweet companion for the holidays, perfect with coffee or dessert. Perfect after 10 years of aging.

What a shame. Beneath the layer of commercial polish, you can still sense the beating heart of Laphroaig, that whisky that once smelled of burnt bandages and the Islay coast after the rain. Today, it wears makeup. And probably a bit too much E150a caramel. Beam Suntory seems intent on turning a character into a product, a roar into a jingle. Next time, they should keep their hands away from the monster; or leave it in its barrel, where it was still breathing.

Pleasant, sweet smoke, tobacco, menthol

Just glorious. Deep Laphroaig nose and flavor.

There's a chance that if I had a whole bottle, I would have given him less. However, based on the sample alone, the impression is very good.

Official description and notes: This ten-year-old Càirdeas edition brings everyone together to celebrate Laphroaig's 30th anniversary and highlights two particularly popular Càirdeas editions: Triple Wood from 2019 and PX Cask from 2021. MATURATION: Matured in ex-American oak bourbon casks and then in Pedro Ximénez European oak sherry casks.

Very pleasant all around, even fresh out the bottle. Well-rounded, seems older than 10, abv is on the spot, interesting caramel note rare for Laphroaig, clear iodine note proclaiming distillery DNA but not overwhelming in taste. Winner in a H2H with a good recent darker bottling of Uigeadail (which is quite good in its own right). Even though a mere finish the sherry is very well-integrated. The only potential fault, it's so palatable and pleasant, one might fault it for missing the IT-factor (and some extremists might love a raw 60% abv 10 yo cask strength or earlier and younger Cairdeases better). A clear winner in my book.

Laphroaig Distillery, 25/5/24. Drank at the Visitor Center bar Good, a little pandering, a little constructed, but pleasant.

The release is positioned as a combination of casks that have proven themselves to work best with Laphroaig spirits, and it fully lives up to expectations. The aroma is deep and complex. Lacquered wood, vanilla, toffee, red berries, currant leaf combined with minerals, light smoke and medicinal tones leave a pleasant impression after the first sniff. The drink develops, fruity tones open (sour apples, orange peels), throat lozenges, chocolate, nuts and prunes appear. Next, meat components (dried meat, meat chips), as well as black tea with mint, come to the fore. On a full throat the smoke is felt many times stronger than in the nose, there is a lot of wood, iodine, algae and medicinal tones. Lots of sweets, berries and dried fruits. There are also neat notes of pepper, ginger and leather. The aftertaste is long, tannic with a pleasant berry sourness, complemented by medicinal bitterness. This release fully confirms the popular belief that one of the best complements for smoky spirits is a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask.

It's so sweet that it's almost sticky. The finish in PX has done a great job. Unfortunately, the whisky can't hold its own against the barrels and is little to not integrated at all. So it's a sweet affair that's almost falling apart and doesn't appeal to me. Pretty disappointing for a Càirdeas. Let's hope for 2025! 79/100 or 4/10

Too much wood. Nothing special. The worst Cairdeas in recent memory. I can only hope it gets better as it opens up in the bottle.

PX finish doesn't do it with Laphroaig for me. While sweet and peat usually go well together, I'd much rather have the regular 10 cask strength, or even the quarter cask. Still not a bad whisky at all, but not one I'd pick.

This is a very enjoyable whisky to drink; the combination of sherry and peat is very smooth.

Delicious dram!

87.5

A very good Càirdeas, well made Laphroaig.

I am a fan of the annual Cairdeas bottlings and that is why I bought this year's one. And I am pleasantly surprised. The 2024 Cairdeas is even better than the bottlings of the past 5 years.

Nice sherry nose, not much smoke, more on the taste, nice sherry, nice dram

Fruit in front, sea breeze in the back, Laphroaig is a great value for money island festival

It's quite standard, the aroma is wild and sweet

like the sherry oak, this is overloaded for me with much too much wood. I am a big fan of Laphroaig, I adore the 10 CS and most of the Cairdeases, but this doesn't pick me up. In the mouth, it is warming and the alcohol is very well integrated, nearly creamy, but again the wood overkill takes over and flattens the nice smoke character of Laphroaig. Not my cup of tea from Laphroaig. Finish is ok, like expected

Just too rich and sherried for my liking. If you go for you Laphroaigs in a big sherried way, add a few points for sure. Personally prefer the 10yo Sherry, as the Laphroaig character shines through more on it and the abv is almost perfect at bottle strength on it. But this one is just too overdone on sherry for me.

B-sample of the 4-week open bottle in direct comparison to the Cairdeas 2025. It remains the case that we're not getting a clear Laphroaig in the glass here. Instead, we'll have to reach for the new Cairdeas, which offers that and is more reminiscent of a 10-year-old at cask strength. The 2024 is simply wonderful on the sweet-bitter side of sherry, and also somewhat deeper, more complex, and more special. And we connoisseurs look for something new from our beloved distilleries. Laphroaig achieved that in 2024, and it did so excellently. The 2024 now scores 90 points for me, and the 2025 scores 89 points.

The whisky has a mahogany colour, there are fairly large tears hanging on the glass. What a cracker but with a great abv to drink. Actually it has everything you expect in a special bottling.

Then Laphroaig 2024 is better. I think the sherry blend with peat is very perfectly smooth. Some people think that this smoothness is very simple. I have drunk a lot of whiskys. The balance of alcohol is very important and often affects the state of the wine. This bottle of Laphroaig 2024 is in a very good balance.

A hollow, flat-chested distillate pimped with soot and PX sweetness to conceal it's insufficiency. I'll take any one 10CS over this any time. In fact, it doesn't even hold up against a simple, but very nice Ledaig 10. Really desperate stuff, but judging by the score it suits modern palates.

A lively young Laphroaig—continuous waves of solid muscle and weighty punch delivered with smooth precision.

German Youtube Review: https://youtu.be/2EnR7mXgDvg

Sweet peat,malty,caramel flavor.

I tasted it with the PX Cask because it reminded me a lot of the PX in both the nose and taste. For me it is the best Cairdeas of recent years. As with the PX Cask, you get a great sweetness in the nose and taste without the classic Laphi character (medicinal, phenolic, iodine, hospital) being lost. That is exactly what bothers me a bit about the 10 Sherry Oak, where the sweetness clearly predominates and drowns out the Laphi character. That is not the case here or with the PX, which is why I would always choose the 2024 Cairdeas and PX Cask over the 10 Sherry Oak if the price was not an issue. Comparing Cairdeas 2024 and PX Cask: Both offer a great sweetness on the nose, without being too over the top. The Cairdeas offers a little more of the typical Laphi character, the PX a little more sweetness and darker notes in the form of dates, raisins and figs. But in both cases you can tell that it is a Laphi. In terms of taste, both are somewhat similar, but here too the Cairdeas offers more and more intense Laphi smoke, paired with a great sweetness in the background and light maritime and salty notes in the finish. The smoke here turns into campfire smoke in places where bacon is being burned. The PX is even sweeter and offers more maritime and salty notes, but the Laphi character is somewhat reduced. The PX has a longer finish due to its higher sweetness. The winner really depends on the day's form, both are on a par, definitely the best Cairdeas in a long time. Is it worth the money? Not really, I would probably go for the PX because it's cheaper and the 1 litre bottle is very similar whisky. Still a wonderful Cairdeas bottling and one of the best Laphis in a long time!

For me the best Cairdeas from Laphroaig so far.

Smoke in fine ashes, with everything that makes Laphroaig, medicinal touch enhanced by Pedro Ximénez Sherry, chewable charcoal, garnet and muscat grapes, melting chocolate drizzle, redcurrant and raspberry juice, but just a few drops. Tip of honey. Full ashtray. The balance is just perfect. In the mouth, it's silk, but drenched in spongy peat and motor oil. Licorice stick, candied quince. Lignite behind, and spices, especially pepper, appear after a long time. Long and virulent finish, rough charcoal, ash paste. Red fruits and gas oil, chalky earth, full of gypsum. Burnt wood, cola. It's beautiful from start to finish. The best Càirdeas in my opinion. Everything is wonderfully balanced, very fruity, with a typical peat that is still quite present. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2024/07/laphroaig-cairdeas-2024-cask-favourites.html

Great value, best Cairdeas in recent memory

The first impression is disappointing. Mediocre level for the Laphroaig standards. Very flat, uninteresting and boring. I will update with the advance of the bottle. You better stick with the Sherry Oak Finish or Lore from the core range.

Lots going on with the nose. A wine cellar mustiness leads off, followed by rich red grapes, plums and blackberries, sea salt, iodine and ash. Palate is just as rich with blackberry jam on buttered toast. Medium to long finish of salt and white pepper. Glorious!

Not a complexity builder. Very straight forward and extremely drinkable. However, the sweetness makes the Laphroaig seem a little tamed at times. Therefore, a good, tasty, sweet, drinkable dram. But not a great one.

for under 100€ sooo good!

Incredibly balanced whisky, no overpowering notes. Cairdeas has once again pleasantly surprised me!

Compared to the 10-Year-Old Laphroaig at cask strength, this whisky is more of a tame and drinkable representative of the brand. It's completely accessible, even for beginners, as long as they like smoky whiskies. In a tasting with advanced beginners, I often heard that it's one of the best smoky whiskies, or rather, Laphroaig, ever tasted. The alcohol is wonderfully integrated. It has a good sweetness and a woody smoke that certainly wouldn't have reminded me of Laphroaig in a blind eye. A woody influence from the cask is noticeable. I can clearly taste the sherry, but nothing particularly distinctive. In the end, I don't notice the PX. It's no wonder of complexity, but simply delicious and drinkable. With two or three friends, the bottle can easily be three-quarters empty in an afternoon or evening. So be careful!

Fèis Ìle, fourth day, back on the south coast at one of my favorite distilleries: Laphroaig. This Càirdeas bottling for the Friends of Laphroaig was released for Fèis Ìle 2024. It's 10 years old and is intended to be reminiscent of the 2019 Triple Wood bottling and the 2021 PX bottling. It has a dark amber hue. Is it authentic? I'm not sure about Laphroaig; it's possible that the Càirdeas are actually uncolored—unfortunately, I can't find any information on this. glen-efze.de

Actually more a 88,5 but leaning more towards 89, so that it is. Nice expression, nice experience but it's more of a "special" then something for the core range, no need to redo for me :p Can be a bit too much... Px... The clean bourbon version they did in 2015 however...

So fruity and a hint of honey and vanilla

Tasted on 03.08.25.

10cs, but better. (imo)

Even after this one, I just can't warm to Laphroaig....

Flawless Laphroaig! Everything is on its place here, perfectly balanced, well-rounded, definitely the best Cairdeas I've tasted by far.

As usual, a great bottling, powerful, very smoky but also intensely fruity and sweet. The aroma is on the dry side and it definitely needs time and air - 31.05.2024

Nose and taste fishy and leather when first opened. Now 2 days later and improved with nose and initial taste apple and cream with spice. Midpalate opened and citrusy. But aftertaste no longer objectionable. Color and taste seems mostly sherry casks and wood coming out. Leather components fading. Mild peat, less than expected for Laphroaig, but good marriage. Much improved.

Simply the best...

Smoke, iodine, medicine and a little bit of everything; dried fruits and berries, a little salt and sour citrus tones, sweetness returns again in a second wave, followed by technical notes.

Released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Friends of Laphroaig community, this is a 10-year-old whisky, the spirits were successively kept in bourbon casks, quarter casks and finished in PX casks. Bottled with a fixed strength of 52.4% alcohol, unfiltered. Nose: the aroma is bright, open, playful, fruity and sweet. Sweet smoked suffruts (prunes, raisins, figs, dates, chocolate dried apricots) play the lead role, coffee bitterness is felt, rum baba in sugar glaze, grilled fruits, smoked meats, iodine, seaweed, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, dark chocolate, tea tannins Palate: pleasant, rich, bright and not at all alcoholic, despite the strength. Caramel, a scattering of fresh, juicy dried fruits, pomegranate sauce, pastries, smoked meats, black pepper, astringency of tobacco leaf, sweet spices, seaweed, astringent tannins Finish: aftertaste: dried fruit sweetness, pepperiness, ash, smoked meats, coffee bitterness, sweet spices, pleasant bright tannins Balance: bright, juicy and impressive is the annual festival release from Laphroaig. It turned out to be more complex, expressive and complete than the standard PX release. Longer aging allowed to place accents, and the increased strength added power and pressure N23,P22,F22,B22

88.5

A bold, full-bodied smokiness that unfolds into a luscious, lingering sherry finish. A long, enduring finish, amplified by its robust cask strength.

Simply stunning! That's when you realise Laphroaig is Islay #1! 22 23 22 22

very good

The taste doesn't live up to the promise of the nose. It seems a bit artificial. A little more alcohol would do it good.

A different Cairdeas. More fruity and slightly oily. Not as clean as Laphroaig, but refreshingly different! Very tasty ????!

The finish is a real chocolate aftertaste that lingers in the mouth. It's a little bitter, milky, and cocoa-like, and the taste is really nice. Overall, the taste is complex and well-balanced, but this is the first whisky I liked the most for its finish.

Freshly printed on coated paper, smoked dried fruit (reminiscent of Bowmore), notes of creamy caramel, flavored with sweet wine. Very tasty and finally balanced Cairdeas, you can enjoy it for an infinitely long time. A full 10 years of aging have done their job.

Smell: Nice gentle Laphroaig smoke (gauze bandage), then a fruity sweetness comes through, raisins and other dried fruits, red berries, cooked cherries, forest honey, behind that fresh herbs and a light spiciness, the alcohol seems well integrated. Taste: Sweet, dark and dried fruits spread, nice and creamy and oily, milk chocolate, mint, roasted nuts, light acidity, tobacco, spices emerge and the smoke becomes more and more intense towards the end. Finish: Medium long, a little dry, slightly bitter, again spices and ash. Conclusion: This is probably my favorite Cairdeas bottling of the last few years. The influence of the cask can finally be heard again without suppressing the typical Laphroaig notes. It also seems more mature and balanced. I would like to see a bottling like this with other Laphroaig casks. Keep it up!

Nose: As soon as you pour the wine you get the first hint of wood. A wood-paneled room with leather armchairs. Then sticky berry sweetness. Yes, medicinal-bitumen-like smoke is there. It comes through the sweetness. The sweetness is joined by dates, tobacco and wood. Sawdust, freshly chopped wood. Mouth: Gentle at first, a wave of spice and ginger comes only after a few seconds in the mouth. As soon as this subsides, dark fruits, dates and heavy smoke aromas come. Dark sweetness and Laphroaig go quite well, if there wasn't a noticeable hint of wood in between. Finish: Very dry, spicy, ash 87/100 Conclusion: Unfortunately, it seems to me as if Triple Wood and PX have combined the negative aspects. It combines a sweetness that is too dominant with a strong influence of wood. I don't really like that. The Laphroaig spirit can balance this out fairly well, a more delicate spirit would have been completely lost here.

Simply the best...

It waited almost a year for me to open and taste it, and it finally arrived. How I love a warm, sunny day, when after the winter, for the first time you can go out on the terrace, with a glass of good whisky. And it is really good. Sweet, very smoky, with lots of fruit, campfire smoke, peat and chocolate notes. It pleasantly scratches the throat, even warms, and at the same time you don't feel the alcohol at all. It was worth waiting so long, both for the first warm day this year and for the whisky itself.

The Càirdeas series (pronounced: care-chase) is the annual special bottling from the Islay distillery Laphroaig, created exclusively for the Fèis Ìle festival and the members of the "Friends of Laphroaig" (FoL). The name comes from Gaelic, meaning "friendship," and was suggested by the grandmother of a former distillery manager. The series officially originated under this name in 2008 to honor the community of these "Friends of Laphroaig," to which—shame on me—I still don't belong in 2026. A situation I urgently need to rectify, because with every Laphroaig I have in my glass, it becomes increasingly difficult for me to resist the unique charm of this Islay distillery. And this latest bottling is no exception. Having come into possession of an open bottle through a good whisky friend, I now had my first opportunity to try a Càirdeas myself. As is well known, this series consists of unique expressions in which the distillery experiments with unusual cask maturations, finishes, or variations of the classic Laphroaig style. In 2024, the 30th anniversary of the "Friends of Laphroaig" was also celebrated. To mark this occasion, the 10-year-old "Cask Favourites" was released, combining influences from the "Triple Wood" and "PX Cask" styles. According to my information, it was aged for 10 years in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and quarter casks before receiving a final, short finish in PX sherry casks and was bottled at 52.4% ABV (non-chill filtered and uncolored). This also makes it one of the few Càirdeas bottlings with an age statement. And now for my impressions. Aroma: Laphroaig is often known for taking "no prisoners" on the nose, so I was very surprised that this bottling is far less aggressive than other expressions from the distillery. Of course, there's an intense, heavy, almost ashy smoke right from the start, but it's more of a dark fruit sweetness and much less dominated by peat – without losing the distinctive Laphroaig character (burnt-down hospital, iodine tincture). The longer it sits in the glass, the more complex the notes become, ranging from ripe plums to dates and raisins, all the way to maple syrup. Retronasally, after the first sip, the previously dominant sweetness is complemented by hints of tobacco and cocoa pods. It's all enveloped in the sensation of standing right on the beach with a glass of Glencairn, staring at the salty sea spray. For a 10-year-old, it's incredibly complex, and the nose is truly poetic. Taste: The first five to ten seconds are world-class for me and demonstrate once again what a Laphi is capable of when you really let it loose. What an oily, creamy, and full-bodied mouthfeel, one you'd love to lick of every single tooth, but unfortunately, it doesn't last. That's only a minor drawback, though, because even as it becomes increasingly "clear" on the tongue, it unleashes an intriguing explosion of flavors. The sweetness of dates, raisins, caramel, and dark grapes soon gives way to a bitter, medicinal campfire smoke on a beach, where someone has been heating licorice. Finally, a certain pepperiness lingers, accompanied by candied ginger and brown sugar. There are also hints of leather, which make the whisky seem a bit older than it actually is. Finish: And there it is again, that creamy, almost sticky-sweet consistency. Intensely bitter, like a dying bonfire with dark chocolate, this dram glides down the throat, leaving a dry, spicy (perhaps even herbal) aftertaste that lingers for a medium length of time. This is practically the only time the oak from the cask makes itself felt. It's another indication of how well-rounded this bottling has become, to which, incidentally, I haven't added a single drop of water, as the 52.4% ABV is perfectly integrated – which also makes the whole thing dangerously drinkable. Conclusion: For fans of the Laphroaig sledgehammer, the 2024 Càirdeas might be almost too subtle and pleasant. That would truly be my only, albeit somewhat contrived, criticism, because, dear sir, you'll be hard-pressed to find many better 10-year-old whiskies out there. Certainly not at the usual release price of €95 to €110. Currently, it can still be found for between €120 and €140. And even though that's outrageously expensive, it would ultimately be money well spent. This thing is simply a weapon.

Beautiful Sherry, top-notch value for money.