New Release: Laphroaig 16 Year Old Official 200th Anniversary Commemorative Bottle (Duty-Free)

This was indeed a delicious example of bicentennial quality. Laphroaig 16 Year Old Official Bottling to Celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Laphroaig - Travel Retail Exclusive, 43% ABV The aroma features concentrated orange and grapefruit juice, white wine, faint plum and peach, vanilla, oak, briny sea breeze with seafood dashi, and a firm, strong peat with distinct iodine notes. On the palate, it begins with a smooth, silky texture that expands comfortably, revealing orange and peach juice sweetness, concentrated chewy texture, a juicy fruitiness, and a rich, slightly oily smoky peat finish with clear iodine characteristics. 【Very Good】 This is the 200th anniversary bottling of Laphroaig, a duty-free half-bottle (16 years old), and of course an official release. I had the opportunity to try it at Caruso in Shinjuku, and this time my malt friends brought it from abroad, allowing me to taste it in Ginza as well. This is a very juicy, fruity Laphroaig with a diverse range of fruitiness that feels both authentic and enhanced. It also has the concentrated, chewy powdery texture I love in Laphroaig, along with the briny sea-like and seafood-like qualities typical of Islay malts, as well as a clear peat note with iodine reminiscent of official Laphroaig. Compared to the Bicentennial 15 Year Old, it feels slightly deeper in flavor, and compared to the Bicentennial 21 Year Old, it has a lighter, more delicate character. I believe this bottle sits exactly in the middle between these two extremes, just like its aging years. This way, I've been able to thoroughly taste all of Laphroaig's bicentennial bottlings. The 15 Year, 16 Year, and 21 Year feel like part of the same flavor system to me, while the shortest (Carcass) and longest (32 Year) bottlings feel quite different. All of them are truly exceptional, and I thoroughly enjoyed every sip. I'm once again grateful to be living in this era where I can enjoy such a drink.