Laphroaig Quarter Casks

In the new 2023 design I liked the 10 year release and the PX was generally impressive, so the expectations were…. It was only after opening the green bottle that I was alarmed that the whisky was too light, and for good reason, unfortunately... What we have: a very young and simple story, you can feel a lot of nicely roasted casks, which is usually not a good thing, but here it is, ok, you can drink whisky, but just drink, no more... 20 20 20 20 80

The memory is always very good, but it feels wrong when I open the bottle. How come the fruity taste in my memory has become so smoky, like a black storm? And the two shared bottles are not good either. I have opened several bottles of whisky recently and basically have not been satisfied with any of them.

Punchier than the 10 year old but not quite as rich as the 10 year old cask strength. Great dram though.

For a Laphroaig, this is an easy sipper: very fruity, fresh, tasty, almost pleasant, and (finally) with a decent amount of smoke in the finish. And to return to earlier Quarter Casks (without the "s"): If you prefer the classic Laphroaig QC style, you might want to stock up on one or two older QCs. Or make a bet on the future: since this Quarter Cask in a new guise fits seamlessly into the series of the latest Laphroaig releases (10 CS #15, #16, Càirdeas 2023) - fruitier, more accessible and less smoky than its predecessors - the surprising departure of Barry MacAffer, distillery manager and successor to John Campbell, who has only been in office since March 2022, could mark another turning point. The bottlings released during MacAffer's tenure were, across the board, much more accessible and, yes, tamer, but fruitier than before; but this did not detract from the enjoyment in any way. Perhaps the wheel is now turning back, who knows. At this point, a few words about Barry MacAffer: Why would anyone leave Laphroaig after 13 years when they have learned their trade here from scratch and can ultimately crown their career with the position of Distillery Manager? In his farewell message (April 2024), MacAffer says nothing about it in a gentlemanly way, so speculation is now running rampant. In his blog, however, Ernst "Ernie" Schreiber has the following to say: "Plans by Beam Suntory UK headquarters in Glasgow to employ Barry primarily in the role of International Brand Ambassador did not meet his expectations. The separation he made was therefore inevitable and understandable." If this were actually the case (which I assume it is), it would be a truly understandable decision.

Overall, a solid whisky, and not bad value for money at just under 40 euros. For my taste, it doesn't quite compare to my other Laphroaig 10, which is a bit more pleasant.

03/07/2026 - bottle In a blind taste test, I suspected it was Laph QC more due to the scarcity of my samples than my own expertise. Too bad, the bottle is gone and I don't have a sample to test with ice, but that's alright.

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed with this bottle and Laphroaig's image. You expect a more peat driven dram, but it's not really happening. It's certainly not a bad whisky, but it's a rather different image of the distillery than I expected, and thus a bit of a letdown.

Peaty nose, with banana, sweet star fruit, lemon, and a sudden burst of BBQ meat A woody palate, smoky peat with meat juices, peppery spices, and exotic fruits arrive, a welcome change from the traditional lemon meringue. The finish is peaty, with smoky, sweet, caramelized meat. Bottle sourced from 4 different casks for an incredible sweetness of banana, sweet and soft fruits, look at the Carambola, a pleasant surprise!

Mediocre

Reminds me of the 10 yo Cask Strength version, but unfortunately without the oomph of that bottling. Easy to drink. Well-rounded without any rough edges.

Still a candidate to buy for the price

Just to good for its price. good whisky for the bucks.

So the aromas are roughly the same as in my 2019 bottle. BUT, this one is more biting, sharper, and really unbalanced; it used to be different. It's also less oily than the 2019 bottling. It seems to me that the casks here are significantly younger; back then, the Quarter Cask definitely seemed more mature and therefore more balanced. A clear point deduction.