Home Tasting: Laphroaig 1985-2000 15 Year Old Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask 50%

Fruits were gentle but had a certain charm and was delicious. Laphroaig LAPHROAIG 'LAUDABLE' 1985-2000 15yo DOUGLAS LAING Old Malt Cask 50% one of 303 bottles ・Aroma: Mellow and gentle, with notes of lemon and grapefruit, powdered Parmesan cheese, a touch of matcha, dried malt, initially assertive but mellowing over time with plant-like qualities, fish stock and minerals, vanilla, syrup, a faint earthiness, tar and iodine, but with strong smoky peat dominance. ・Flavor: Mild entry expands beyond the alcohol strength, with concentrated powdery grapefruit powder and powdered cheese, matcha, a savory sweetness of well-roasted barley, a textured mouthfeel that lingers on the tongue, gentle citrusy sweetness and acidity, mineral-rich with a noticeable saltiness, tar and smoke, a slight vegetal bitterness in the finish, medium-bodied with a long-lasting aftertaste. ・Dilution: A small amount of water makes it slightly floral, but adding more causes it to collapse into a flat, smoky lemon water. Not recommended. ・Overall Review: While lacking the vibrant fruitiness, it clearly possesses the powdery concentration typical of 80s Laphroaig bottlings. Though not heavy-bodied, the balance between citrusy sweetness and acidity is good, and it has mellowed nicely after bottling. It carries a slightly withered atmosphere, suggesting this is the ideal time to drink it. 【Good/Very Good】 This is the Laphroaig 1985 bottled by Douglas Laing under the OMC 'LAUDABLE' label in 2000. While it lacks the strikingly vibrant fruits, this bottle clearly embodies the unique powdery concentration I most desire from 80s bottlings. Initially, it had a strong vegetal character but mellowed over time, with the latter half of the bottle being smooth and satisfying without any rough edges. While Laphroaig has produced good bottles in the 90s and 2000s, there's still an irreplaceable charm in the 80s bottlings. That said, this bottle also feels like the right time to drink it. Leaving it to sit for too long risks deterioration, so I'll aim to open it before it dries out. I'm not a collector but rather a drinker, after all. #Laphroaig (LAPHROAIG)