Laphroaig Distillery, Scotland     founded: 1815 | active
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The more you smelled it, the more it evoked a farm. It was so farmy, that we wrote down "FARMY!!!" to make the point unforgettable. Damp hay and silage emphasised the point, and 'slaaaaag' was mentioned, said like a lady who partakes in many men, but perhaps referencing a pile of quarry soilings? There was a smokiness on the nose, but far from dominating, whilst a wardrobe and mothballs brought the mustiness indoors.

Mothballs turned up in the mouth too ('napthalene') but the farmy theme has now been replaced by a seaside theme (not too surprising for a Laphroaig): Seafood pizza, fish stock and a sherbet dib dab with sand instead of sherbet (yum!). There was also a nice zesty balance, with citrus fruit and orange peel making an entrance late on. It went down pretty well with everyone in the palate - not a monster, but a jolly nice experience.

On the finish, the only length that was explicitly mentioned was medium - but "finished" (perhaps due to its drinkability) and Mika Häkkinen were offered as suggestions. The only flavour that was agreed on was black pepper. I say the only that was agreed on, in fact it was the only flavour that was suggested - however, it was seconded.

~£123 (70cl)

Master of Malt: Laphroaig 15yo Directors' Cut   |   http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/laphroai

We've always scored out of 10 in our group (see number in red box, below), with scores regularly given across that spectrum. The value out of 100 below is adjusted to the scale most commonly used for whisky reviews, to allow for better comparison.

90 / 100