New Release: Laphroaig 15 Year Old Official Cairdeas for Friends of Laphroaig, 2017 Bottling 43%

This year's second Cairdeas release shared the same specifications as the Bicentenary. Laphroaig LAPHROAIG 15yo OB CAIRDEAS for FRIENDS OF LAPHROAIG 43% First Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrels The aroma features orange peel, apricot jam, faint peach, smoky charcoal-like smoke and seafood smoke, vanilla cream, and oak. On the palate, it has a slight viscosity with orange cream, rich sweetness, umami from seafood, oak tannins, saltiness, strong smoke, and a powerful finish. [Good/Very Good] As an annual tradition released around the Islay Festival period, the official bottle 'Cairdeas' for Friends of Laphroaig (eventually available worldwide) was released this year separately from the festival bottle. This release is a 15-year-old, 43% ABV, with distillation dates around 2001 according to the back label. While it shares the same specifications as the Bicentenary's 15-year-old, the flavor profile felt quite different. It presented a more concentrated array of elements like fruits, vanilla, and cream, alongside strong smoky notes from seafood and charcoal. Compared to the Bicentenary 15-year-old, which often leaned into a fruitier profile typical of bottlers' Laphroaig, this version felt heavier, more powerful, and richer, with pronounced oak characteristics. The bourbon barrel influence was strong, making this an intriguing release as a 15-year-old in the current official standard lineup.