Some rather old Laphroaigs and secret Islay, part 3


June 25, 2025

Some rather old Laphroaigs and secret Islay, part 3
Let’s carry on! Right then, this time we’ll start with a vintage from the 1980s, but in a younger version...

Laphroaig 12 yo 1984/1996 (59.9%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection)

There were quite a few little bombs in this series which, barring a few sherried versions, often came extremely close to the distillate itself (or to kerosene, ha). In short, we love these ‘small cream labels’ that always stated the whisky had been aged in oak casks (and not in walnut, beech, chestnut, fir, macassar, amourette, olivewood…). Colour: pale white wine. Off to a good start. Nose: marvellously simple. Almost laughably simple, on lemon, bruised apples, chalk, wool, ashes, seashells and iodine. With water: plasticine and motor oil come in broadly speaking, though lovely mandarins appear in the background. Mouth (neat): citrus bridging the gap with earlier decades, though in a slightly aggressive way, with a sensation of lime smoked over firwood and mixed with seawater. No surprises there. With water: doesn’t change much, remains a bit aggressive and rugged, definitely more rustic than the officials from the same era. Finish: a slightly fizzy side, the whole turning fairly bitter. Think Schweppes, only without the sugar. Alright then, not Schweppes. Comments: admirable at times, more austere at others.
SGP:466 - 88 points.

Speaking of Schweppes, if you come across the Schweppes Guide to Scotch by Philipp Morice (circa 1985), it’s well worth it! Let’s carry on, still in the 1980s...

Secret Islay 34 yo 1989/2024 (51.8%, The Whisky Jury, Fifth Anniversary, refill bourbon, cask ref #LP89-2, 248 bottles)

A very distinguished label. Colour: pale gold. Nose: bonkers stuff, on chalk, fresh paint, bread dough, sourdough, and above all a fat, mentholated peat wrapped in virgin wool. You’re virtually on Islay.

Secret Islay 34 yo 1989/2024 (51.8%, The Whisky Jury, Fifth Anniversary, refill bourbon, cask ref #LP89-2, 248 bottles)

The 34 years don’t show in the slightest. With water: the exotic fruits rise up, particularly mango and guava, with a noseful of fruity Swiss cheese, like summer Gruyère. Absolutely beautiful. Mouth (neat): still bonkers, with, let’s say, lemony coffee dusted with ashes, then green pepper and bitter vegetables, something like aubergine. With water: once again the exotic fruits emerge post-dilution, though this time leaning more towards zesty citrus, grapefruit and the like. Also a note of lemon balm water. Finish: long, veering more towards a western orchard, particularly on green apple. The medicinal and saline character of Laphroaig asserts itself more clearly in the aftertaste. Comments: well, we were expecting as much. It’s a fairly dry old Laphroaig of frankly interstellar quality.
SGP:466 - 92 points.

An Islay Distillery 30 yo 1993/2024 (52.7%, Abyss x AquaVitae, Synergy Collection #001, bourbon barrel, cask #4406888, 140 bottles)

We already had #002, which was magical (WF 92). Indeed, we never do things in order, I’m afraid. Sorry, Hong Kong! Colour: white wine. Nose: far too sublime, ultra-precise, surgical almost, on wool, chalk, lemon, bitter almonds, iodine tincture and oysters. With water: the wool takes over everything else. Islay sheep’s wool, naturally. Mouth (neat): such liveliness! There’s a rather admirable ‘chemical’ aspect, if that sort of thing doesn’t put you off, a note of detergent, Play-Doh, plastics, paraffin, then 7up and model glue. Sounds dreadful, I know, but it really isn’t, it all locks together perfectly. Did I mention lemon and seawater? With water: the fruits come bursting in, citrus, passion fruit… Though the paraffin stays put. Finish: long, with no notable change. Comments: I think #002 was a little more mainstream, this one’s a touch more ‘specialist’.
SGP:467 - 90 points.

Secret Islay 30 yo 1993/2023 (52.7%, The Whisky Jury, refill barrel, cask ref #199323, 231 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: more classic, more balanced, softer, more aligned with the distillery markers, menthol, Mercurochrome, lemon, apple, seawater, ashes, oysters, bandages, balms, camphor and so forth. With water: damp wool and chalk, fresh almonds, a dash of rowanberry eau-de-vie. I reckon you could pour 1 or 2cl of this beauty over pistachio ice cream to dress it properly. Mouth (neat): just spot on. Lemon tart laced with seawater, ashes and antiseptic. But what kind of deranged mind would concoct such a thing? With water: it all relaxes and becomes almost gentle. Finish: the bitters come in and take over from the fruits, it’s quite lovely. Comments: in my view, you could make a deluxe spritz with this, just swap out the supermarket prosecco for a decent Champagne.
SGP:566 - 91 points.

Secret Islay Distillery 33 yo 1990/2024 (52.3%, Whisky Picnic Bar, Emblem 07, bourbon barrel, cask #4404322, 110 bottles)

Secret Islay Distillery 33 yo 1990/2024 (52.3%, Whisky Picnic Bar, Emblem 07, bourbon barrel, cask #4404322, 110 bottles)
Colour: white wine/straw. Nose: more delicate than the 1993s, it feels as though there’s been more ‘transmutation’ of the peat with age. That said, we’re also getting kirsch-like notes, candle wax, sunflower oil, those tiny seashells we love so much (hurrah for winkles!) and a touch of paraffin. With water: wool! Mouth (neat): simple, direct, perfect, close to the officials. Lemon and apple, cigar ashes, more liquorice than in the last few we’ve tasted, and certainly fewer of those ‘interesting deviations’, but it’s excellent. With water: above all, perfectly balanced, saline, fresh, almost youthful, which is rather miraculous. Still, let’s not forget that 33 is the age of Christ (though perhaps not the most fitting reference). Finish: fresh, easy, good length. Comments: I reckon this marvellous bottle would please almost everyone, shame there are so few of them.
SGP:566 - 90 points.

We’ve also got a few litres of Williamson to taste (Laphroaig single malts disguised as blended malts), but that’ll be for later. We’ll finish with a much older vintage, to round things off nicely...

Laphroaig 1966/1997 (49.6%, Dun Eideann, Signatory Vintage for Divo Switzerland, cask #1095, 280 bottles)

Already a whisky of fine age, it was 30 or 31 when bottled! We ought to find here the terribly seductive side of the old 30-year-old official. The one you could just drink like milk. And indeed, that’s not far off. What else to add, except that the 1966s under the original Signatory label were… terrifyingly beautiful. So, let’s cling to the table now… Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is a completely different beast from the 1980–1990s, it’s chock-full of shoe polish, lanolin, oil paint, turpentine, and a medley of embrocations, while crucially it’s not at all a ‘fruit bomb’ like the officials distilled during that same period could be. In fact, this goes right to the heart of what makes indies so compelling, their ability to show variants… That said, there is grapefruit surging in with metal polish, the metallic edge becoming increasingly dominant. Old coins and old tools, something rarely encountered in modern whiskies. Mouth: another world entirely, one of jazz and rock and roll, old London and old Glasgow, vinyl and faux leather, powdered fruit drinks, vintage cars, seaside holidays… It’s astonishing how this Laphroaig reflects its era! Finish: not tired in the least, still with much to say, especially salty and fermentary things, but let’s just keep that between us, if you don’t mind. Comments: none, better like this.
SGP:465 - 94 points.

Next, Williamson galore, but that’ll be a bit later.

(Merci Christian, merci again KC)

Check the index of all Laphroaig we've tasted so far