Home Tasting: Laphroaig 15 Year Old Official 200th Anniversary Commemorative Bottle

Certainly an excellent bottling for the world's bicentennial celebration. Laphroaig LAPHROAIG 15yo OB TO CELEBRATE THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAPHROAIG 43% ・Aroma: Ripe oranges and grapefruits, guava, faint passion fruit, apricot jam from the depths, vanilla, a gentle but assertive grain note, peat with iodine and smoke, slightly tar-like. ・Flavor: Starting with a gentle mouthfeel typical of diluted whisky, it expands into a richly aromatic profile featuring tropical notes of grapefruit, guava, and passion fruit. A solid oily texture reminiscent of vanilla cream is present alongside the mineraliness of seaweed, iodine, seafood smoke, juicy fruit sweetness, and citrus acidity. The texture is slightly chewy and condensed, leaving a mildly oily and fruity finish. ・Dilution: The fruity elegance and freshness increase, but the body suddenly becomes thinner. ・Overall Impression: The vibrant fruitiness, accompanied by citrus notes and tropical fruits, is striking. While leaning towards fruity characteristics, the peat nuances with a distinct iodine note typical of official bottlings are clearly present. This is truly a special bottle worthy of the bicentennial celebration. 【Very Good】 This is an official 15-year-old bottling released to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Laphroaig Distillery. It is a so-called bicentennial bottling, with over 70,000 bottles produced. Although there are sales plans, unfortunately it has not yet been released in Japan. This bottle was initially released as a pre-sale of 2,500 bottles for Friends of Laphroaig before being distributed domestically in the UK. As previously written in an article, the initial excitement upon release was tremendous. However, after some time had passed, I conducted a detailed home tasting. Incidentally, this is the second bottle I've had. (Laughing) Even when sipped carefully, it remains a distinctly fruity Laphroaig. While lacking the robust body of some expressions, it is smooth and free of off-putting elements. Surprisingly, there's a notable iodine character, setting it apart from other bottlings that emphasize only fruitiness. Comparing it with expressions like the 21-year-old, I once again felt that this 15-year-old offers a classic Laphroaig character combined with a smooth drinking experience, making it easy to enjoy in quantity.