Laphroaig Select Cask 70cl

Big peat. Coastal bite. And enough cask sweetness to keep you coming back for another sniff. This Islay single malt is Laphroaig doing what it does best, turning smoke and seaside air into a dram that feels like a bonfire on the beach.

Select Cask is built for people who want the classic Laphroaig punch without it being a one-note smoke bomb. You get layers, char, salt, and a streak of vanilla and light fruit that rounds out the edges. It’s the kind of whisky that makes you stop mid-sip and go, “Wait, what was that flavour?”

• Nose: Campfire smoke, iodine and seaweed, with a softer hit of vanilla and toasted oak.
• Taste: Peat smoke up front, then smoked bacon, peppery spice, and a sweeter middle of caramel and light citrus.
• Finish: Long and drying, salty smoke lingers, plus charred wood and a faint sweetness that hangs on.

Why it works so well is the contrast. Islay peat brings the intensity, that medicinal, sea-air character Laphroaig fans love. The cask selection brings balance, adding warm oak, vanilla, and a touch of sweetness so it doesn’t feel like you’re chewing on a chimney.

If you’re new to peated whisky, this is a solid way in because it shows you the full Islay picture, smoke, salt, and swagger, but still gives your palate a few softer landing spots. If you’re already a peat person, it’s a fun change of pace that keeps the DNA, just with a bit more shape and variety.

It also plays nice in cocktails that can handle bold flavours. Think a smoky riff on a Whisky Sour, or a Penicillin-style mix where peat and honey-ginger vibes don’t fight, they high-five.

Fun Fact: Laphroaig is one of the only distilleries that still cuts some of its own peat and malts part of its barley on site, which is a big reason their smoke hits so unmistakably “Laphroaig.”