Laphroaig Quarter Cask Whisky 70cl

Laphroaig is situated in a small bay that has remained largely unspoilt to this day. The distillery, originally a farm distillery producing whisky for personal consumption, was officially founded in 1815 by the two brothers Donald and Alex Johnston. Their father, John, had already established one of the two illegal distilleries that would later become Lagavulin. Furthermore, between 1837 and 1848, there was another distillery on the site now occupied by the distillery: the old Ardenistle Distillery (also known as the Islay Distillery or Kildalton Distillery) run by Andrew and James Stein. The water used in production came, as it still does today, from Kilbride Dam. According to legend, Donald Johnston met a death in 1847 that would probably be considered ideal by any lover of his products: Under the influence of whisky, he fell into a full cask and drowned. The distillery remained in the family until 1954. The last member of the Johnston clan, Ian Hunter, left the business to his secretary, Bessie Williamson. Bessie sold the business to Long John Distillers in 1967, but continued to run the distillery until she retired in 1972. Two further stills were purchased in both 1923 and 1969. In 1974, the final still was added, bringing the total to seven. When Long John Distillers was taken over by Whitbread in 1975 – which in turn belonged to Allied Domecq – Laphroaig also changed hands. Allied Domecq was taken over by Pernod Ricard in 2005, but in order to comply with the requirements of the competition authorities, they had to divest themselves of Laphroaig, meaning that Beam Global Spirits & Wine, a subsidiary of Fortune Brands, is now the new owner.

Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright, reflective gold.
Nose: Delicately smoky and peaty, accented by hints of coconut and banana. Ripe apples, kiwi, pine, fresh butter. Full-bodied and deep.
Palate: Liquorice root, gentian root, complex and delicately smoky, surprisingly smooth and sweet. The additional influence of the quarter casks brought out the sweet smoothness and a velvety mouthfeel. Then the typical, intense peattiness of Laphroaig comes through in full force.
Finish: Very long, alternating between nutty, woody sweetness and the classic phenolic peat smoke, as maritime as the waves on the Islay shore.

This Laphroaig is no ‘peat monster’, but it’s very well-crafted, with ripe strawberries, plenty of white pepper and a hint of salt. Although matured without sherry casks, it still displays sherry notes!
Thanks to the quarter casks, the maturing malt has 30% more contact with the wood. This results in a very distinctive character.