Laphroaig 10 Year Old Batch 17 is a cask strength release from the Laphroaig distillery, founded in 1815 on the southern shore of Islay near Port Ellen and now part of Suntory Global Spirits. Laphroaig is regarded as one of the most heavily peated and maritime of all Scotch whiskies, with a portion of its barley still malted on site over hand-cut Islay peat. Batch 17 is the latest edition in the distillery's annual cask strength series built around its flagship ten year old.
This is a powerful, smoke-driven Islay single malt bottled at full natural strength. The nose is zesty and sweet, with candied apple, crème brûlée and sugared pastry layered over the peat. On the palate, stewed apple, vanilla cream and pears in syrup lead before a wave of sea salt, herbal smoke and crisp seaweed takes hold, lifted by a cooling note of menthol. The finish runs very long, carrying black pepper spice and a sweet grassy smoke that fades into a tarry peat aroma.
Matured for a minimum of ten years in ex-bourbon barrels, Batch 17 is bottled without chill filtration. Rather than chill-filtering, the whisky is barrier-filtered straight from the cask to remove char particles while keeping its full, undiluted character intact.