PeatWave Chapter 25: A Five Year Old Laphroaig at Cask Strength

Chapter 25 of the PeatWave series

The Caskhound, the independent bottler run by Tilo Schnabel, has released the Laphroaig 5 Years Old 2021 PeatWave Chapter 25 The Caskhound Cask Nr.5, a new chapter in its PeatWave series. Earlier releases on Spiritory include the Inchdairnie 7 Years Old 2018 PeatWave Chapter 21 The Caskhound.

The new release comes from Laphroaig on Islay and has been available from selected specialist retailers since Monday, 2 November 2026.

The cask

The whisky was distilled on 17 September 2021 and matured for five years in a single first fill ex bourbon barrel, cask no. 5. It was bottled on 7 October 2026.

It is bottled at a natural cask strength of 57.1% ABV, without chill filtration and with no colouring.

Two faces

The bottler describes this Laphroaig as a whisky with two faces and sums it up in the words "Sweet Disguise, Peaty Surprise": it starts gentle and sweet, and only shows its smoke on the palate.

The tasting notes

Nose: Surprisingly tame and noticeably sweet. The typical smoke stays in the background at first, gently recalling an extinguished campfire. Vanilla pudding, ripe banana, honeycomb and lemon meringue cake lead the way.

Palate: The entry is oily and sweet, with caramel sweets and vanilla cream. A powerful wave of smoke and peat follows straight after, with medicinal smoke, tar and maritime barbecue smoke, balanced by the bourbon sweetness.

Finish: Long, ashy and sweet. The smoke stays dominant, joined by vanilla sweetness, some oak spice and a pinch of sea salt.

Bottle count

The release runs to 281 bottles of 700 ml. On Spiritory the whisky is listed as the Laphroaig 5 Years Old 2021 PeatWave Chapter 25 The Caskhound Cask Nr.5.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PeatWave Chapter 25?

A new release in The Caskhound's PeatWave series: a five year old Laphroaig single malt from Islay, cask no. 5, bottled at cask strength of 57.1% ABV.

How many bottles are there?

The release runs to 281 bottles of 700 ml.

Which cask was the whisky matured in?

A single first fill ex bourbon barrel. It was distilled on 17 September 2021 and bottled on 7 October 2026.

What does it taste like?

Sweet on the nose with vanilla pudding, ripe banana and honeycomb, oily on the palate with a wave of medicinal smoke and tar, and long, ashy and sweet on the finish with a pinch of sea salt.