Whisky Focus - Laphroaig Four Oak Review

Laphroaig unveil travel retail exclusive Laphroaig Four Oak.

Laphroaig Four Oak is a new travel retail exclusive expression which will be available from April 2017. As its name suggests the new whisky from the Islay distillery has been matured in four different casks; American ex-Bourbon barrels, quarter casks, virgin American oak barrels and European oak hogsheads.

Laphroaig describe the new whisky which will be bottled at 40% ABV as having aromas of peat smoke with stewed fruit and warm, toasted vanilla. Four Oak provides a taste of buttercream and a salted liquorice and peaty finish.

Not a particularly descriptive tasting note with little indication of the intensity of the peat levels many fans of Laphroaig or I should say Friends of Laphroaig are looking for but hopefully it contains enough peat to keep us all happy.

I do hope that the new Four Oak is not a case of taking the Laphroaig Triple Cask one cask too far and the new Four Oak doesn't have the 48% ABV strength of the Triplewood to support it. I found the Triplewood a bit lacking in peat, hopefully not the case with the Laphroaig Four Oak.

The Laphroaig Four Oak will be launched in travel retail in April alongside the new Laphroaig 1815 Legacy Edition, both the new whiskies join the Laphroaig QA Cask and the superb Laphroaig PX Cask, An Cuan Mor and Brodir in travel retail giving the Islay distillery quite an impressive line up of whiskies available to us when passing through the airport.

The price on the new Laphroaig Four Oak will be around £50 and I am pleased to say it will be presented in a 1 litre bottle.

If you cant wait to April you will find the current Laphroaig whisky range available from specialist online whisky shops such as Master of Malt
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops
  

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