Maybe Laphroaig 10 is a gimmick, but for me it was a profound, near spiritual experience. It single-handedly changed my taste for whiskey. I previously would drink whiskey with friends but never really "got it", I just did it to be sociable. Laphroaig opened my eyes and changed that forever and will always have a piece of my heart. That said, I prefer Ardbeg.😂

Laphroaig 10 is the opposite of a gimmick. I always always go back to it. Often, when I drink a "smooth" or "complex" dram, I find myself longing for the challenge of the 10, the reflection it demands, and the gauntlet it puts me through. I always find a reward at the bottom of the glass. It's my pick for sure.

Laphroaig 10 is the greatest thing ever put in a bottle

personal: 1. Ardbeg 2. Lagavulin 3. laphroaig Cool vid Bill, love this new compare-style for the vids!

"A whiskey cleanse should totally be a thing." Sounds good to me! Great video of 3 great whiskeys. Ardbeg is my favorite of the 3.

They're all great Whiskies, really. Honestly, in my part of the world, the price on the Lagavulin is too damn high to warrant buying it over the 16. For the money Ardbeg 10 is the winner.

Just bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10. It’s a great introduction into Islay peated Scotches. I’m learning the flavors, and I’m liking this Scotch. Thanks for the review, and keep up the good work.

Lagavulin is great, they make great whiskey, but there's just something about Ardbeg. The 10 is such a great base expression too. Briny, savory, funky. It's a literal Southern barbecue in my mouth.

I can’t do Ardbeg. I’ve tried. However, I think Lagavulin 16 is the finest thing ever bottled. I like the 8...but compared to the 16, it feels unfinished. I like to use the 8 for penicillin cocktails.

Very nicely explained and presented. Being from Scotland I've sampled a vast choice but always return to Ardbeg 10 for total appreciation of how I like my smokey whisky to be. Ledaig 10 (pronounced 'Lechig' I believe) hails from the Isle of Mull which lies to the North of Islay and is also a superb slightly less smokey expression. Cheers from Dave in Scotland.

Great video! Laphroaig 10 was my first peated whisky. I loved it then and have always kept it on hand. I’ve had Ardbeg 10 and thought it was incredible. I’ve never had any Lagavulin expression. Happy Holidays!

Good review. Always love Islay. For standard Islay bottling, my faves now are: Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig QC, Lagavulin 16. But casting the net beyond Islay, Ledaig 10, Talisker 10 and Longrow Peated will make up my Top 6 for peated whiskies for now.

Ardbeg 10 is my favourite, with Laga 16, Uigeadail, Port Charlotte etc running it close. Got a few Ardy 10 for bargain of the year earlier so we'll stocked up on it 🤣 Haven't bought the Laphroaig 10 before because its 40% here.

I'd love to see a Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength vs. Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength vs. Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Have made the leap a year ago and now love Islay Scotch. Took me 20 years buy hey! Ardbeg 10 is fantastic! I do prefer lagavulin 16 a half a point more but it is twice as much $$$$. Yes it is worth it but for regular enjoyment you cannot go wrong with Ardbeg 10 especially during colder months.

I drank ardbeg 10 for the first time yesterday. Drank half the bottle and got punched in the mouth every sip! Didn't think I'd like it as much as the Lagavulin 16 at first but it was surprisingly good!

I'm a fan of Laphroaig, and I'll admit the price where I live probably has something to do with it. Laphroaig 10 goes for $37, Ardbeg 10 for $55, and Lagavulin 8 for $65 (if they have it). Well, and I really like it. Cost has to play a part, though. I have a bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail that cost $70, and I couldn't help but think, as much as I enjoyed it, I could have had 2 bottles of Laphroaig for just $4 more. I've gotten beyond that in subsequent pours, and just enjoy the additional complexity, IMO, of the Uigeadail.

I can't agree more Laphroaig 10 is immediate with a smoke hit while Ardbeg 10 rushes in with some shock and then the smoke slowly emerges and lingers. The Smoke of both are similar and very enjoyable. In some ways Laphroaig 10 is more smoke . less time.

Great video as always, here in Rome Italy i can find Legavulin 16 for 46euro, Laphroig quarter cask and 10 for 35euro and Ardbeg 10 38 euro. In order of preference Legavulin 16 , Laphroig quarter cask, Ardbeg 10 , Laphroig 10

3 yrs. later, still great review. Thanks

Ardbeg 10 is by far my favorite Scotch. Around $50 in my area and well worth it IMO.

All 3 are great! Depends on the mood and what your looking for at the moment.

Out of this list I am: 1. Laphroaig 2. Lagavulin 3. Ardbeg Ardbeg has the clear winning stats at NCF and 46% ABV, but I just don't like it's peat style vs Laphroaig and Lagavulin.

So interesting to hear your thoughts on Laphroaig 10. The Ardbeg was my first peated whiskey and I loved it. Having the Laphroaig at a bar recently I actually thought it was a little more drinkable over time than the Ardbeg. I have them tied in my ranking but I'd be curious to try them side by side and see if I feel the same.

I've become a HUGE Islay scotch fiend after finding my taste for it. Before then, I was a Highland guy. I like em peaty and smoky as possible. Of these three, Ardbeg 10 and Lagavulin 8 are the two that I keep in my cabinet. The Laphroig 10 is just ok. I just don't find it as smoky and flavorful as the other two. I actually prefer the Laphroig Select over the 10. And if you like your whisky as smoky as possible..... maaaaan, lemme tell ya about that Ardbeg Wee Beastie! This is a good video on comparison of whiskies in the same price range tho. For a few dollars more... you could get the Bruichladdich Port Charlotte! Cheers!

Laphroaig 10 is amazing. I always have a Lagavulin 16 on hand but will try Ardbeg coming up.

Great review! Ardbeg is next on my list to purchase. I like the Laphroaig 10 and love the Lagavulin 8 so far. Time to complete the hat trick!

In Australia we can only get the Laphroig 10 @ 40 ABV so For that reason I haven’t tried it, but I have tried the quarter cask and that is a real fine whiskey but I would still put the Ardbeg 10 in the front as a favourite. It’s depth of flavour and mouthfeel is second to none.

Good review thanks! I find your results interesting. Mine were reversed. I did a comparo between Laga 8 and Ardbeg 10 and though Ardbeg 10 shocked me with even more intense smoke qualities, i felt Laga 8 was more balanced, and finessed to my palate. Ardbeg 10 was just more heavy handed and has a bigger smack in the face of phenols. Both are really noteworthy and very high quality, but Laga 8 has a more special place in my glencairn neat or with a few drops of water. I think your choice of Ardbeg 10 came down to your bias of familiarity.

Yes yes! Ardbeg 10 has a DEFINITE second wave per sip. 2nd wave different from 1st

Price needs to be factored in. Laphroaig used to be same price as Ardbeg. Once the 25% tariff on single malts was added a lot of companies (Laphroaig/Lagavullin) continued to jack up their price in addition to the 25%. Ardbeg didn't do that. That's a big reason why Ardbeg is just a better company making better Scotch.

Laphroaig 10 is why I drink scotch. I have hundreds of bottles of scotch, and multiple expressions of every distillery in Islay, and to this day, gimmicky or not, Laphroaig is my favorite.

Aw man, some quality bottles on display here... I think the Laga 8 is great, but the 16 is another level and such a classic Islay.

This one was fun. I can never decide between Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10. Need to try them side by side sometime.

These three whiskies are the ones I wanted to see comparisons on. I’m currently tasting and comparing the Lagavulin 8 and the Ardbeg 10. I tried Laphroig 10 years ago and disliked it because it tasted too smoky. If I was going to introduce someone to peated whiskies, I’d start with Lagavulin 8. To me, it tasted fruitier, more complex, smoother, and less peaty than the Ardbeg 10. I’m likely to keep both bottles in my pantry, but I prefer the Ardbeg, just like I prefer spicer salsas to mild ones. YOLO.

I'm between Laphroaig and Ardbeg... love both. I drink Lagavulin in bars but save my money for the others

The Lag8 is nice and clean like a good menthol cigarette. The Ardbeg10 is an expensive cigar and the Laph10 is your frat brother daring you to hold that first bong hit til you cry. I agree with the gimick, Laph10 @43% doesn't offer much by itself, it does add the peat to a stale dram if you add a splash. I don't smoke much anymore except barley malt. I had my first Laph10 in a restaurant, the looks I got from the other people were hysterical. "Where's the fire?" and "what the hell is that smell" as the waiter brought it over. Loved it. Hate paying for half a bottle in one small glass though. So now I just buy the whole bottle and drink with you guys. Thanks Covid.

I haven’t tried the Ardbeg 10 but I have had the Laphroaig 10 and then I’ve had the Ardbeg Uigeadail and Lagavulin 16. The Lagavulin 16 is my number 1 Whisky. I absolutely love my Lagavulin 16 - love it! The Laphroaig 10 we get here in New Zealand is the 40% ABV though, and I do enjoy it with it’s heavy smoke. The Ardbeg Uigeadail is a very close second to the Lagavulin 16 which is just so much more creamy and drinkable.

Haven't had Ardbeg 10 yet but had Wee Beastie for New Years Eve last year and it absolutely blew my socks off. The meaty-bacony-BBQ flavor was something I'd never found in a whisky before and it was amazing. Going to get a sample pack this Christmas which contains the 10, An Oa and Wee Beastie. It's gonna be a good Christmas :)

Laphroaig is amazing! No questions! Ardbeg and Luguvalan also kick ass, so no loosers here!! 😀

All great, love lagavulin 8 for a great frequent sipper

My first smoked whisky was the Talisker 10 and i love it. my nexst botle vil for sure be the Ardbeg 10. ;)

Just a note: Laphroaig at 43% abv can't be non-chill filter, it would need to be 46% and above.

I like the background music on this video.very smokey.

Laphroaig tastes and smells like a leather store that has been set on fire. And then the fire was put out with base whisky. Then everything was put in a bottle.

I’ve had Ardbeg 10, Lagavulin 8, Lagavulin 16, and Ardbeg Corryvrecken all in the past 2-3 weeks. I personally tend to prefer somewhat higher ABV whiskies, so I go back and forth between preferring the Lagavulin 8 and Ardbeg 10. Really depends on the day for me, but the 48% abv for Lagavulin does give it a little extra staying power. For the more expensive bottles, Lagavulin 16 is quite simply a beautiful whisky. It’s complex, light, almost a hair delicate if that makes sense. Not what you expect for a peated whisky. Corryvrecken in comparison is intense while also complex, and an incredible experience. I do think the higher ABV really helps here. Corryvrecken is the best of the bunch and it’s not close imo.

First peated whiskey that i got was Lephroaig 10 and i loved it then i got Ardbeg 10 and liked it more than the Lephroaig, now i have Port Charlotte 10 and still love the Ardbeg more. Also im new to whiskey but the peated ones are my favorite so far.

One thing to cleanse ur palate and l is alternate a low peat or no peat whisky like a Highland, or even bourbon works well, to excentuate the smoke/peat notes imo becomes more vivid. To cleanse nonalcoholic I like coffee, water and typ when sipping time, sip comeback later take another sip, might be hard to do for a video tho As for cardamom, i would think of nutmeg being closer or at least the dried cardamom, goes excellently in a chai

I used to drink maker’s Marks but after drinking the Lagavulin the Maker’s Mark doesn’t taste like much.

Just my personal choices from these 3 distilleries: 1a Ardbeg Uigeadail 1b Lagavulin 16 2 Ardbeg 10 3 Ardbeg An Oa 4 Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength 5 Laphroaig 10 Haven't seen the Lagavulin 8 around here yet.

Ardbeg 10 is a fantastic dram, well worth exploring - as a viking / saxon reenactor the finish reminds me of the campfire as it's dying down, or the smell of my clothes the next day after sitting round the fire at night!! Hopefully soon I'll be able to get to Islay for a Whisky pilgrimage!!😃🥃

I like Laphroaig 10 but it tastes just like good vodka with smokiness, Ardbeg and Caol Ila are much better cause they are oily and have some sweet tones too.

First time I've seen these compared with the Lagavulin 8. Everyone including myself has used Lagavulin 16 for the comparison, which I never thought was a fair fight. When I did the comparison it went Lagavulin 16, second Ardbeg 10, and last Laphroaig 10. I am interested in how you score the Lagavulin 8 against the two 10's.

Great video Bill. The background is Bruichladdich Blue. I love it! An homage to Islay!

Great video! Ardbeg 10 is amazing. Just had a dram of it last night. But my favorite entry level heavily peated Scotch is Ledaig 10. Goes for about $45-$50 just like Ardbeg 10. The Ledaig has a BBQ smoke profile with tropical fruit, delicious!

Will do!

Where I'm located, all three of these are priced very close. For the money, I have to go with the clean, sharp, simple flavor of the Lagavulin 8. The current bottlings of the Laphroaig and Ardbeg 10 year olds are just a bit flat in comparison. Also love the pale, natural color of the Lagavulin - it's not trying to be something it isn't.

Great video Bill. 😎. My next pour will be Ardbeg 10 🤤🤤

This just popped up in my feed again! I could probably mix all 3 of these together and be happy .

Ardbeg. My score: 10 out of 10!

I love Ardbeg 10, definitely a favourite and a real quality whiskey. As for the Lagavulin I have both the 8 and the 16 in my collection, the 16 is a grand whiskey but for some strange reason I tend to like the 8 more. Taste is a funny thing. But truth be told you can’t beat the Ardbeg, I like the An Oa too😁

Laphroaig 10 will burn nostril hair, IMO the 1/4 Cask, 18 & Triple Wood are far better and my favorite whiskies. Lagavulin 8 is excellent.

Ardbeg 10 wins for me ---- I have a hard time accepting that both Laphroaig and Lagavulin add color - that rubs me the wrong way - also for me, Ardbeg has the better smell and taste - light yet smokey - easy going down....

Ardbeg gets my vote too. And I like Talisker better than Laphraoip & Lagavlin

I love Islay whiskies and also Balvenie Week of Peat!

always enjoy your reviews.👍 i buy your suggestions if affordable and I have never been disappointed. winner is 102 the runner up is 92 in Ontario but it sounds like its worth the extra 10 dollars. Cheers 🍻

Port Charlotte the best peated Islay whisky!

These glasses have stems for a reason - use them :) Especially when doing a tasting.

12:54 you meant lagavulin 8

Great video! I love your thoughtfulness and conversation nature. I am surprised that you haven't reviewed the Lagavulin 16 yet! It's such a classic.

Hey! Interesting…lately I got into Islay Malts and any Laphroaig 10 I can find aroun is 40% abv. chill-filtered and aritificaly colored aswell…did they change it so drastically in a year?.. I don’t like to go under 43% so it makes me want to not try it

I'm always jealous when I see people having Laphroaig 10 with 43 % ABV. In Germany it's only 40 %, which is the reason I don't buy it. It just can't hold up. At 43 - or better 48 % - it would be so good.

My first peated whiskey was Lagavulin 11 offerman edition. I like to take a sip of it neat first and then mix it with coke. From what I remember it was really good. After that I started to learn more about islay scotch. I then Tried Lagavulin 8, Lagavulin 16, Laphroaig 10 and Arbeg 10. The lagavulin 8 was my least favorite. And laphroaig is my first choice. I thought the Ardbeg was ALMOST identical to the Laphroaig but I felt there was a slightly smokier taste in the Laphroaig which I really enjoy. I am curious how the Lagavulin Offerman edition would stack up now that I have more experience. I have a brand new bottle but am hesitant to open it since it's no longer available, it actually went up $100 in value since I bought it.

Should probably start with less smoky one and move to more smoky ones?

Mate so many good whisky from my beloved nation. We have a another beloved alcoholic drink. You should try Buckfast it has a real kick to it. Happy to post over a bottle to you bud :)

I always have to do a double take when I watch American reviews. Over here (UK) we only get Laphroaig 10 at 40% (as well as Glenmorangie 10, etc.)! 😯

A taste test is subjective; everyone has the right to choose their preference over others, but Laphroaig 10 is not a gimmick. It is a world class scotch that’s been around for over 75 years. It is only a gimmick if someone uses it as one.

heck yeah i get the grassy lemongrass/ alfalfa horsefeed hint in there for me. in ardbeg 10 good stuff. i do admit i had to power through first two shots before i could start picking apart its flavors. my first islay😱

the league of laphroiag will not stand for this outrageous opinion. no but seriously the laph 10 you have to drink half the bottle until you swirl it around your tongue and get the apple flavor. it's not a gimmick. I like it better than the ardbeg 10, no idea on the laga 8.

port charlotte 10 has entered the chat.. haven't watched this yet but I recently did a comparison of pc10 vs ardbeg 10 and preffered the pc10, dunno where my preferences would lie with laga 8 and laphroaig 10 in the mix though edit after watching: definitely am with you on the laphroaig 10, really think it would be better at 46-48% like they do with quarter cask. Really like the ardbeg 10 it's a more well rounded spirit than the laga 8 imo. That being said I really enjoy the laga 8 on the finish especially

Both Lag 8 and Ardbeg 10 are decilicous whiskies! But there is something about the Lagavulin type smoke... briny, meaty, kind of sea weedy.. mmm 😄Very similar smoke in the 8 and 16, you can tell it is Lagavulin even in blind tasting. Ardbeg 10 is a bit more complex than the Lag 8, but that Lagavulin smoke just wins for me. Laphroaig 10 on the other hand I don't feel is in the same league as the other two. Maybe the Laphroaig QC would've faired better in the comparison. By the way I get the same second act in the Ardbeg 10, I love it! 😁 Have you tried the Uigeadail btw? Sherried Ardbeg 54.2%, with a small drop of water opens up and has some nice acts as well 😁😁 Damn these Islay whiskies are so good.. even without smoke they are delicious and intense (I am looking at you Bunna 12)

Love the Lagavulin 8 and Ardbeg 10. I'm about to get a great deal on the GOT Lagavulin 9. Hoping it's as good as the 8.

Never knew Laphroaig 10 was non-chillfiltered, but maybe it isn't here in Europe. It's also only 40% here

But which is the smokiest? I’ve got the Ardbeg 10. I’m looking to try something that’s even Smokier.

I was introduced to Laphroaig 10 by my wife about 15 years ago, as it was mentioned glowingly in a dick francis novel ( one of her favourite authors at the time). My first intro to peated whiskey. I love the phenolic\iodine flavours. Have since tried as many peated whiskeys as i can, do like a bit of talisker. but its Islay all the way, in Melbourne nearly all islay malts are at the au$100 mark which is way above my no-work-cos-covid pay grade. Did enjoy the bowmore i got fro dan murphy's when they made a pricing mistake $49.99. I have tried lagavulin 16 $20 per glass at a pub, and its leading in my books. ledaig is a little dull in its flavours, talisker i can afford on special, ardbeg is a good choice, but laphroaig select wins as i can get it for 79.00. Being poor at the moment..i miss single malts, must console myself with some monkey shoulder.. cheers

The Ardbeg 10 for me has a TCP note on the nose and taste, which, for some reason is quite enjoyable. The smoke is an burnt ashy pine needles On your note about the second wave, yeah, Ardbeg 10 hits you a second rime and it just carry on and on and on...

It surprised me that the Ardbeg had a higher ppm than the Laphroiag. The Laphroiag strikes me as being more heavily peated. I love the Laphroiag 10. But, I am a fan of peat. I still need to try the Lagavulin. You?

For me, I prefer Lag8 over the Ardbeg 10. Talisker 10 in between.

Ardbeg has a secondary blast you're right

As of today 2022 I'm trying to find better stuff than the Ardbeg 10 each time meeting failure it's just different it's awesome can't beat it. The biggest problem with it while have the second third time is u know it's too good already before u sip 😂

Ardbeg 10 is far better than any similar priced peated whiskey, actually only competitor for ardbeg 10 is port charlotte 10 which is around $15-20 expensive always :)

the holy trinity.

Do you drink the higher abv's "neat"?

Great comparison though i am 1. Lagavulin, 2. Laphroaig 3, Ardbeg. all enjoyable

3 of my favs. I often get an undertone of coca-cola in the laphroaig & ardbeg, and hints of cooked pear skins in the background on the lagavulin. Fun review, I like the comparisons 👍

Please do Ardbeg Uigeadail vs Lagavulin 16

When you review Lagavulin 16, will you do a quick comparison with the 8 year and talk about if it’s worth going up to the 16 or if the 8 is just as good/close enough. Thanks! Great episode

For me I like the Lagavulin 8 more. Ardbeg 10 is a drinkable whisky if you have ever taste Talisker 10 you will find out that Ardbeg 10 has way less profound tastes.

Love Islay, still need to try Ardbeg 10 though! Next do affordable mainstream bourbons! (ie: Wild Turkey, Makers Mark, Elijah Craig, Buffalo Trace)

I have those three bottles in my bar ... great whisky . My favorite is Cao Ila but you didn t tast it