Yggdrasil, the world tree in Norse mythology, is based in peat, or so it seems!

This very old Laphroaig is bottled by Jack Tar, a Polish bottler that is rather focused on mythology themed bottlings. Not only of whisky, but there’s also brandy and rums and things like that.

This one was bottled a couple years ago but only found its way to my glass recently. This weekend I was away with the missus for a couple of days and that was a nice moment to sit down for something as rare as this!

Sniff:
Coastal, but warming and bonfire like. Glowing embers, salty smoke, shammy leather. Earthy peat, washbacks, and some dehydrated lemon slices. A hint of coffee too.

Sip:
Rather gentle on the arrival and at first it needs a bit of time to get going. There’s a light hint of candy-floss, but mostly dry white oak, a cherry stone bitterness, dried lemon peels, apple, sea weed (nori), a surprisingly light hint of smoke and sand. It stays a bit muted.

Swallow:
The finish starts showing the more typical Laphroaig notes of band-aids and iodine, as well as tarry ropes and coastal smoke. A big and classical finish.

This is a bit of a rollercoaster. The nose and finish are spectacular. However, the palate is a lot less impressive. It feels a bit thin, and seems muted in almost all ways. It took me quite a while to get these tasting notes out, and even being as focused as I can be it was a bit of a struggle.

Having nagged about that for a bit. The nose and finish then. Those really are good and save this whisky in a big way. The ‘heads and tails’ of the dram show all the things you want in an old Islay whisky. Well integrated peat, some crisp coastal notes and the old-fashioned Laphroaig notes of iodine and band-aids.

88/100