🥃 Laphroaig
Distillery and brand of peated single malt whisky on the island of Islay, founded in 1815; part of the malt is still dried over local peat.
Laphroaig is a distillery and brand of single malt Scotch whisky on the south coast of the island of Islay, near Port Ellen. It was founded in 1815 by the brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston. Laphroaig whisky is known for its strong peat smoke, and the distillery is one of the few in Scotland that still malt part of their barley themselves. It now belongs to Suntory Global Spirits.
The distillery remained in the founders' family for a long time. Its last member, Ian Hunter, died childless in 1954 and left Laphroaig to his assistant Bessie Williamson; she became one of the few women to run a Scottish distillery in the 20th century. In the 1960s she gradually sold the business, the owners changed several times afterwards, and since 2014 the distillery has belonged to the Japanese Suntory (Beam Suntory group, from 2024 Suntory Global Spirits). In 1994 the Prince of Wales, visiting the distillery, personally presented it with his royal warrant.
On its own malting floors the barley is steeped, germinated on the floor and turned by hand, and then dried over a fire of local peat cut by hand. This malt is only part of what is needed; the rest is bought in. Distillation is carried out in three wash stills and four spirit stills. The whisky is matured mainly in ex-bourbon casks of American white oak. As for all Scotch, the law requires at least three years in oak in Scotland, and the age statement on the label refers to the youngest whisky.
The range: the 10-year-old (the core expression, 40% ABV in the United Kingdom and EU), the 10-year-old Cask Strength, Quarter Cask (additional maturation in small casks, 48% ABV), Lore, Triple Wood, and older and limited editions.
Why this matters to you. Laphroaig is one of the smokiest Islay whiskies: if you do not like peat, start with a tasting measure. The name of the island on the label guarantees the place of distillation, not the degree of smoke. Quarter Cask and Cask Strength are stronger than the 10-year-old, so look at the percentage. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | 1815, brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (Single Malt; protected locality Islay) |
| Raw material | barley malt (part malted on site over local peat), water, yeast |
| Distillation method | copper stills: 3 wash stills and 4 spirit stills |
| Cask type | mainly ex-bourbon casks (American white oak); Quarter Cask: small casks |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (10-year-old, United Kingdom/EU); Quarter Cask: 48% |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Laphroaig → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky
- In other topics
- 🐝 American white oak
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that all of Laphroaig's malt is malted on its own floors?
No. The distillery is one of the few in Scotland that still malt barley themselves, but that is only part of the malt needed; the rest is bought in. The home-malted barley is dried over local peat.
Why is Laphroaig so smoky?
The malt is dried over a peat fire, and smoky compounds pass into the grain and, with it, into the whisky. The degree of peating is chosen by the distillery; at Laphroaig it is high.
What casks is Laphroaig matured in?
Mainly in ex-bourbon casks of American white oak. Quarter Cask additionally matures in small casks, and some editions in ex-sherry casks.
Who owns Laphroaig?
Suntory Global Spirits (until 2024, Beam Suntory). The Japanese Suntory acquired Beam together with Laphroaig in 2014.
What does “10 years” on the bottle mean?
The youngest whisky in the bottle is at least 10 years old. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 require this for all age statements on Scotch.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Lagavulin · 🥃 Johnnie Walker · 🥃 Chivas Regal · 🥃 Jack Daniel's · 🥃 Bombay Sapphire · 🥃 Drambuie
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), regs. 3, 8, 10, 12 (Single Malt, Islay, age statements)
- Scotch Whisky Association: Map of Scotch Whisky distilleries, 06/2024 (Islay: Lagavulin, Laphroaig)
- Alcademics: I Peated in your Scotch — A Trip to Laphroaig (floor malting; hand-cut local peat; 3 wash + 4 spirit stills; ex-Maker's Mark barrels)
- Whisky for Everyone: Review — Laphroaig 10 Years Old (founded 1815 by Alexander and Donald Johnston; 100 % ex-bourbon casks; 40 % ABV)
- The Whiskey Wash: Hunter & Williamson, Laphroaig's biggest influences (Ian Hunter; Bessie Williamson, 1954)
- Wikipedia: Laphroaig distillery (1815; owners to Suntory Global Spirits; Royal Warrant 1994; floor maltings; Quarter Cask 48 %; casks) — допоміжне
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)