Laphroaig PX Cask

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Laphroaig PX Cask Single malt
Score:	92/100
ABV:	48%
Region:	Islay, Scotland
Body:	Full and intensely flavoured
Intensity:	Medium-high
Texture:	Medium-oily
Balance:	Superb
Best served: Cask:	Neat, with water  American oak ex bourbon, finished in Pedro Ximenez cask
Theme(s):	Sea, salt, almonds, cherries, dark chocolate, coffee confectionery, betadine, peat, charcoal barbecue, vanilla, ashy cigar smoke
Tasting notes:	Laphroaig PX Cask is a travel retail exclusive. On my recent trip to Bali my usual perusal through the duty free shelves was, for once, a hassle-free experience. The bottle of Laphroaig PX Cask caught my eye as I rushed to board my flight so I paid for it as quickly as I snatched it from the shelf and I was then on my merry way to Bali. There were a few other tempting whiskies available, but this particular expression from Laphroaig sounded absolutely delicious - what could complement New Years Eve fireworks and a once yearly celebratory cigar by the Balinese coast better than a bottle of Laphroaig finished in Pedro Ximenez? Laphroaig have adopted an interesting approach to some of their expressions, and the PX Cask follows a similar thread. The Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Triple Wood are closely related to the PX Cask because all three expressions have been matured in barrels that have previously held bourbon and have undergone a second maturation in quarter casks. The Quarter Cask of the Laphroaig range is then bottled after this maturation in ex-bourbon barrels but the Triple Wood and the PX Cask of the range undergo a third maturation in sherry casks. While the Triple Wood expression has a third maturation in Oloroso sherry casks, the distinctive feature of the PX Cask expression is that it has undergone a third maturation in large European oak casks that originally contained Pedro Ximenez sherry. Pedro Ximenez is a white grape that is used to produce dessert wines and sweet sherry. Without getting too much into discussion of the different types of sherry, Pedro Ximenez sherry therefore tends to have a much higher sugar content (and be a lot sweeter) than Oloroso sherry. This means that the Laphroaig PX Cask offers a unique twist on the Quarter Cask and a different angle than the Triple Wood.   Nose: Rich vanilla ice cream slowly melts over black cherry and almond pie as fresh pineapple and papaya soften the unertones of peat, salty sea air and medicinal burts of betadine soaked cotton bandages. This is classic Islay whisky, with a rich bourbon influence and interesting PX twist. Taste:  Thick dark chocolate with scorched almonds accompanies a more gentle mocha as sweet raisins balance against undercurrants of sea salt and peat. After the whisky is swallowed the palate swells with the taste of the sea for a brief moment. The briny fog then thins into a haze of cigar smoke and a beachside charcoal barbecue as creamy vanilla and sweet sugary cherry liqueur progressively develop into the finish. Finish: Peat lingers with the gradually intensifying haze of alcohol preserved cherries as buttery dark chocolate is accompanied by sweet coffee flavoured confectionery and the aftertaste of an ocean oyster.
Price:	$89 (Aus, duty free)