Whisky tasting: Laphroaig Elements 2.0

To mark the release of Laphroaig Elements 3.0, the team at Stripe Communications gifted me a bottle of Elements 2.0, claimed to be the series’ most essential representation.

The new-make spirit for this release underwent an extended fermentation of 115 hours. While not groundbreaking in length (some producers in Scotland go as long as 168 hours) it’s about 60% longer than Laphroaig’s standard fermentations. The spirit responded by pumping out an extra helping of tropical fruit notes, mingling with the Islay giant’s trademark peat notes.

On the nose it’s all salinity, sweetness and zing: prawn crackers, lemon zest, vanilla shortbread, Dijon mustard, honey and aloe vera, with some rich stone fruit notes including apricot. The palate is unapologetically bold in flavour and alcoholic power (it’s bottled at a respectable cask strength of 59.6% ABV). Initially it centres around ‘green’ notes: mossy peat, fresh parsley, citrussy hops, roasted fennel, and green tea. The second sip is more buttery, with sweet salinity, minerality, and the heat of green chillies. With water, sweet-cured ham comes through. The finish combines stewed fruits, sweet peat, and smoky vanilla.

Elements 2.0 may not be as extreme an example of extended fermentation as, for example, Ardbeg’s Fermutation, but those extra hours have left an indelible and enjoyable mark. As promised, this experimental bottling holds the essence of Laphroaig at its core.