Even though Laphroaig is my favourite distillery, I’m not sure that I’ve yet done a week of Laphroaig reviews. Well, let’s do one now (and if it turns out I have in fact already done one, then I was only testing you).

I’ll begin with the 2022 release of the Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak. I’ve previously reviewed the 2021 release—just about a year ago, actually. I quite liked that one. I’d noted in that review that I was going to keep an eye out for it in Minnesota. This plan was foiled—or at least slowed down—by the fact that I barely ever enter liquor stores—or look at their websites—anymore. But in February I did see a bottle on a local shelf and quickly nabbed it. I didn’t have my reading glasses with me at the store and so couldn’t read the bottling code etched near the bottom. When I got home I confirmed it was a 2022 release (the code begins L2). Will I like it as much as the 2021? Let’s see.

Laphroaig 10, Sherry Oak, 2022 Release (48%; from my own bottle)

Nose: Phenolic smoke, orange peel, charred meat—all stirred with a new pencil. The citrus and the charred meat start to meld on the second sniff. With time there’s a big biscuity note and more lead than pencil; the smoke picks up some char as well. Continues along these lines. A few. drops of water emphasize the biscuity note and push the char and pencil/lead back

Palate: Comes in as indicated by the nose except there’s not as much of the pencil or the pencil lead here. A very good drinking strength and texture. More char with time but not much tar, and there’s no bitterness to speak of (I’m referring to the whisky, not the reviewer); with time there’s also a fair bit of oak (thankfully, not raw or tannic). Let’s see what water does. It pushed the oak back but pulls the char out earlier

Finish: Long. The phenolic smoke builds and dominates at first but as it fades the citrus—between lemon and orange—takes its place. The char emerges again at the very end. With time the char does pick up some tar at the end, or is that cigarette ash? Less tar with water.

Comments: As with the 2021 release, there’s absolutely no sherry separation here—the finish was applied well. I like it a bit less than the 2021 release—mostly on account of the slightly greater bitterness here and the lack of pipe tobacco; but I do like it. I’ll be interested to see how it develops with more air in the bottle.

Rating: 85 points.