Introduction
Curiosity and nostalgia led me to open this bottle – a 25-year-old single cask Laphroaig chosen specially to celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday. Bottled exclusively for the occasion by indie bottler The Single Cask, it was one of six unique expressions released in collaboration with local bars. Being an Islay whisky lover, I was particularly drawn to this Laphroaig, distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2023. Long-aged Laphroaigs often show a very different side to the distillery, and I wanted to experience exactly how time had shaped this one.
Nose
Right away, the nose was unmistakably Laphroaig, but more contained and approachable than younger releases. There’s still that core medicinal peat—iodine, damp bandages, sea spray—but layered beneath are dried lemon peel, toasted almonds, and hints of dried tropical fruit. It has complexity without being overwhelming. As it sits in the glass, I pick up soft vanilla and dusty oak, suggesting the years in the barrel have mellowed the wilder edges.
Palate
On the palate, it feels dense and oily. The peat is less aggressive than expected and more integrated—burnt driftwood and smoked tea come to mind more than an outright bonfire. The medicinal profile continues, bringing a menthol note alongside salted toffee, singed herbal tea leaves, and a bittersweet orange marmalade. There’s a certain depth here you can only get from decades in wood, balanced by just enough sweetness to keep it from becoming austere.
Finish
The finish is impressively long—smokey, mineral, and dry. A touch of ash lingers on the tongue along with that signature Laphroaig saltiness. Just when I think it’s faded, I get a final flicker of menthol and aged wood. No harshness at all, just a slow fade into calm.
Price and Value
Limited releases like this are never cheap, and this one certainly wasn’t—especially given the age and occasion. While bottles under this commemorative series were released at around $650 SGD, I can’t say it’s a casual purchase. That said, for collectors or fans of well-aged Islay whiskies, the singular nature of this Laphroaig (especially with only 239 bottles produced) makes it worthwhile. You can’t really find this profile in standard releases.
Background
This bottle comes from a very specific project—a collaboration between six Singapore bars and The Single Cask, designed to mark the city’s 60th year of independence. For this special series, each establishment selected a single cask that reflected their personality. This particular Laphroaig 1998, chosen by Live Twice, was matured for 25 years in a refill sherry hogshead—cask #800207.
Laphroaig itself is known for its intensely peated, medicinal style, and is located on Islay’s southern coast. Long aging in refill sherry wood often allows its harsher elements to recede while developing subtle richness. You can read more about the distillery at the official Laphroaig website.
Final Notes
Would I buy this bottle again? If the budget allowed and another comparable cask came along, yes—it’s a level of maturity and balance I rarely find in Islay whisky today. The combination of heavy peat and long, mellowing oak was compelling.
I think it could be a bit much for someone totally new to peated whiskies. The medicinal notes are still strong, and it helps to have some context to appreciate how different older Laphroaig can be from the younger bottlings.
This is a whisky I’d reach for during a quiet, slow evening—when I can sit and really pay attention to the shifts in aroma and flavor. It’s better suited to thoughtful sipping than casual drinking.
Compared to other Islay whiskies of similar age, it’s more medicinal and refined than an older Ardbeg, and holds on to its core identity more deliberately than, say, a 25-year-old Bowmore. There’s no doubt it’s Laphroaig—but from a quieter, more contemplative side of the distillery.