The Triple Wood is part of Laphroaig’s growing selection of NAS whiskies, which recently got expanded by two Travel Retail-exclusives called Four Oak and The 1815 Legacy Edition. On principle, it does not have easy standing with numerous whisky connoisseurs, who prefer to be privy to the age of the liquids they buy. While I am generally a fan of transparency, I do not consider the missing age statement a dealbreaker here. First, the Triple Wood (which sells for ~40 Euro in Germany) is reasonably priced for an Islay single malt. And second, it is really damn good. Plain and simple. To give it the right context, I drank the Triple Wood back to back with Laphroaig’s signature 10 years old when I compiled my tasting notes. What really struck me was the notion that the triple maturation did indeed work wonders here. If the tenner’s in-your-face mixture of iodine and smoke is a bit too much for you, you might want to give the Triple Wood a try instead. It introduces you to the more sophisticated and “even-keeled” side of Laphroaig without lacking any of the distillery’s key qualities.

by Tobi

Eye: English chestnut.
Nose: Despite having a higher ABV, the Triple Wood is more subtle in the nose than the 10yo. A surprisingly coy peatiness mingles with a mild fruitiness and a somewhat leathery note. The “hospital scent” that people either love or hate about Laphroaig only plays a minor part in this mighty fine Islay staging.
Palate: Sweet, nutty and peaty all at once. The maturation process in three differing cask types has given this ‘Phroaig a lot of depth and a cracking complexity.
Finish: Able-bodied, well-formed and on-going. There is also a nice burn and, obviously, a good dose of smoke. From the flavours mentioned before, the slight bitterness from nuts and almonds stands out strongest towards the end.

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland (Islay)
Age: No Age Statement
Alc. volume: 48%
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~40.00 Euro
More info: http://www.laphroaig.com/ (Distillery)