New Release: Laphroaig 1999 15 Year Old Official Valinch #5160

I sincerely appreciate being able to taste this at this moment. Laphroaig LAPHROAIG 1999-2015 15yo OB Valinch #5160 58.4% The aroma starts off gentle but gradually intensifies over time, fresh and fruity with strong grapefruit notes, unripe melon, faint apricot jam and pear, vanilla, a subtle seaweed mineral note, robust smoky character with soft iodine, and a youthful graininess. On the palate, it has a powerful attack with spiciness, expanding strongly with tropical grapefruit and passion fruit notes, a rich and aromatic spread accompanied by mint, a pronounced oak presence with briny sea breeze, iodine and smoky character similar to the aroma, minimal charcoal notes, a fruity sweetness and acidity close to juice. The peat lingers long on the finish. [Very Good, Interesting] This is a Valinch, an official bottling offered to visitors during the Laphroaig Distillery tour. I received this from Mr. Watanabe, similar to how I obtained the Ardbeg Bicentenary. Interestingly, this #5160 seems almost identical in specifications to the recently released Bicentenary 15-year-old, except for the added water. Naturally, expectations were high. The aroma lacked the expected elegance and youthfulness, but upon tasting, I was genuinely surprised. The flavor profile is exactly like the Bicentenary 15-year-old's cask strength, with a bold and diverse fruity character naturally expanding, including tropical fruits. Within the strong Islay peat, a soft iodine note is also detectable, and like the Bicentenary, the charcoal-like peat character was more restrained than recent Laphroaig releases. The oak presence was slightly dominant, and while it may not be perfectly balanced as a single cask bottling, I was completely immersed in the experience of drinking what felt like the Bicentenary 15-year-old's cask strength. After tasting, I realized that while the Bicentenary 15-year-old would have been better at higher proof, its aroma clarity, balance, and moderate oak nuances were likely achieved through dilution. Though it matched my expectations of the Bicentenary 15-year-old, this sample has now become a near-certainty. It's an extremely interesting sample, and I'm truly grateful to have tasted it at this moment when my memory of the Bicentenary 15-year-old is still fresh. Thank you. #Laphroaig (LAPHROAIG)