New Release: Laphroaig 1997-2015 17 Year Old Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Hoop #8369

A Laphroaig with the bottler's characteristic quality. Laphroaig 1997-2015 17yo Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Hoop #8369 53.0% One of 285 bottles, Hogshead The aroma is fragrant with grapefruit, strong nuts, pronounced barley notes, seaweed and fish stock, gentle iodine and smoky charcoal. When drinking, a spicy tingling sensation, grapefruit, chewy barley notes, honey-like sweetness, tightening oak, peat with charcoal and iodine, the finish is long, spicy, and oily. [Good/Very Good] This Laphroaig 1997, 17-year-old was bottled by The Whisky Hoop from Signatory. It was released in December. A fruity type, likely from a refill cask, common in bottler's Laphroaig. The grapefruit nuances were evident in the aroma. The seaweed and fish stock typical of Islay were also sensed, with the charcoal smoke asserting itself against the milder iodine. The pronounced nuttiness was also impressive. In taste, similar grapefruit notes to the aroma, with a savory chewiness of malt. The oak was well-balanced, and the sweet richness wasn't off. From the latter half to the finish, the peatiness characteristic of Islay's cask strength became prominent over the fruitiness. Although recent 1990s Laphroaigs have been rising in price, this one was still reasonably priced and had the fruity character typical of bottlers. I enjoyed it deliciously.