Laphroaig – Cairdeas Madeira Cask Feis Ile 2016 (70cl, 51.6%)

Laphroaig – Cairdeas Madeira Cask Feis Ile 2016 is a whisky from Laphroaig (Islay). Bottled at 51.6% ABV, 70cl. Laphroaig was founded in 1815 by two brothers from the unassuming Johnston family on the south coast of Islay. Named after the location that the distillery itself was created upon, the name loosely translates to the ‘broad hollow by the bay’. In 1994 the Prince of Wales awarded it the Royal Warrant, an accolade attested to no other whisky on earth. Rumour has it that it was the Prince’s most favoured whisky. Having said that, Laphroaig is often perceived as quite an acquired taste amongst the faint of heart, perhaps due to its intense peaty, smoky and rich flavours. During the prohibition, an American Surgeon General was adamant that it was unfit for recreational consumption, and instead declared it to be strictly utilised for medical purposes only. Today, it is the biggest selling single malt from Islay, and one of the last distilleries using its own floor maltings. The first Laphroaig bottled that has spent time in a Madeira cask. This offering for the 2016 Feis Ile was fully matured in Bourbon casks before being married and finished in Madeira seasoned hogsheads. Please examine the images of the bottle.