🥃 Laphroaig
Laphroaig is a peated single malt Scotch distillery and brand on Islay, founded in 1815, with its own malting floors and cold peat smoke. It belongs to Suntory Global Spirits; nearly all its whisky is matured at least partly in ex-bourbon casks.
Laphroaig is a distillery and brand of single malt Scotch whisky on the south coast of the island of Islay, near Port Ellen. According to the producer, it was founded in 1815 by the brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston, who turned surplus barley from their farm into whisky. The producer describes its whisky as peaty and smoky, and the brand belongs to Suntory Global Spirits.
Ian Hunter was the last member of the founding Johnston family to own the distillery; he roughly doubled production by rebuilding parts of it. His assistant Bessie Williamson became the owner in 1954 and was the distillery's first female owner. Seager Evans & Co later acquired the distillery, completing the purchase in 1967. In 1994 Prince Charles visited and granted Laphroaig a Royal Warrant, which, according to the producer, made it the only Scottish whisky to receive one.
At the distillery, barley is steeped for two days in stream water, then spread on malting floors and turned daily to start germination. The producer says it burns peat at unusually low temperatures to create a cold smoke that flavours the barley, and that it has used Islay peatland for over 200 years. Distillation is carried out in seven copper stills: three larger wash stills and four smaller spirit stills. Nearly all the whisky is at least partially matured in ex-bourbon casks of American white oak sourced from Maker's Mark in Kentucky. As for all Scotch, the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 require at least three years in oak in Scotland, and an age statement on the label refers to the youngest whisky.
The range includes the 10 Year Old, the 10 Year Old Cask Strength, Lore, a blend of whiskies aged 7 to 21 years matured in ex-bourbon barrels, European oak, Oloroso sherry casks and quarter casks, and limited editions.
Why this matters to you. Laphroaig is a strongly peated whisky: if you do not like peat smoke, start with a tasting measure. Islay on the label guarantees the place of distillation, not the degree of smoke. Cask-strength editions are bottled at a higher strength, 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 (malting floors on site; peat smoke); water |
| Distillation method | copper stills: 3 wash stills and 4 spirit stills |
| Cask type | mainly ex-bourbon casks (American white oak, from Maker's Mark) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Laphroaig → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Suntory Global Spirits, 🥃 Malting
- 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, 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 Lagavulin, 🥃 Ardbeg, 🥃 Ardbeg, 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Caol Ila, 🥃 Bunnahabhain, 🥃 Bowmore, 🥃 Bruichladdich
- In other topics
- 🐝 American white oak
Frequently asked questions
Why is Laphroaig so smoky, and is it the same as other Islay whiskies?
The producer says it burns peat at unusually low temperatures to create a cold smoke that flavours the barley. Other Islay distilleries such as Lagavulin choose their own level of peat.
What does 10 Year Old on a Laphroaig bottle mean under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009?
The youngest whisky in the bottle is at least ten years old; the regulations require this for every age statement on Scotch.
Which casks does Laphroaig use?
Nearly all of its whisky is at least partially matured in ex-bourbon casks of American white oak sourced from Maker's Mark in Kentucky.
Who owns Laphroaig?
Suntory Global Spirits. The Johnston brothers founded the distillery, and Seager Evans & Co completed its purchase later.
Which royal honour did Laphroaig receive?
A Royal Warrant, which according to the producer made it the only Scottish whisky to receive one.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🌍 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 · 🥃 Ardbeg · 🥃 Caol Ila · 🥃 Kilchoman · 🥃 Bowmore · 🥃 Bruichladdich
⚠️ 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.
What it includes
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)
- Laphroaig: Heritage (1815, Johnston brothers; Ian Hunter; Bessie Williamson 1954; Seager Evans 1967; Royal Warrant 1994)
- Laphroaig: How to make whisky (malting floors; 3 wash + 4 spirit stills; ex-bourbon casks from Maker's Mark)
- Laphroaig: The Isle of Islay (peat, cold smoke, Islay peatland for over 200 years)
- Laphroaig: Lore (whiskies aged 7 to 21 years; ex-bourbon, European oak, Oloroso sherry and quarter casks)
- Suntory Global Spirits: Our brands (Laphroaig)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)