Spirited News 03/2026 – Laphroaig 12 Years

I have to face it, my first love when it comes to spirits were whiskies. There is just no hiding the fact. This is why, I will try to feature a bit more of them on the blog. A new bottling which I could not stay away from was the Laphroaig 12 Years.

This bottling is your regular Laphroaig, so heavily peated and distilled in their iconic high stills. Yet, it is bottled with two years longer barrel ageing than their standard. On top of that, it comes with neither chill-filtration nor colouring. Last but not least, it also has a higher ABV of 46 %.

 Subtle notes beneath the smoke

Even though the Laphroaig 12 Years starts with intense peat smoke, it somehow feels less intense than the 10-Year-Old. However, if you add a few drops of water this also changes. Apart from the smoke and the famous salinity, I got caramel and vanilla from the bourbon barrels. When the smoke settles, you even can taste popcorn and a lot of oak spices. Comparted to the younger bottlings, this already delivers a more ‘rested’ taste.

Unfair comparison

In comparison I also tried the Cask Lore, which was a bit more complex through its partially sherry cask ageing. Nevertheless, the 12-Year-Old is a great refresh compared to the usual non-age-statement bottlings. This definitely points in a right direction for connoisseurs.