Laphroaig Distillery: 9 Facts
- Emma Gibbs
- Feb 20, 2024
- 2 min read
The jewel in the crown of the Islay region, Laphroaig's name roughly translates as ‘the beautiful hollow by a broad bay’.
Here are 9 facts.
Region: Islay
Founded: In 1815 by farmer brothers Alexander and Donald Johnston.
Current owner: Beam Suntory
Range: ⩥
There are 14 whiskies in the range, five of which are ‘core’ including: 10-YO, 10 YO Sherry Oak; Select, and Quarter Cask.
Peat 🪨
Laphroaig is world-renowned for its peated whisky, in fact, that’s all it makes.
The peat Laphroaig uses is particularly mossy, which helps to bring out a slightly medicinal quality in the resulting whisky.
Unusual production method 🔥
Unusually, Laphroaig still has a malting floor, which it uses to malt about 15-20% of its barley. The malted barley is cold smoked first (for around 12 hours) which infuses it with flavour BEFORE it’s dried in a kiln.
Quarter Cask Maturation 🥃
Laphroaig is known for its innovative maturation techniques, including the use of quarter casks. These smaller barrels, introduced in 2004, allow for greater interaction between the whisky and the wood, resulting in accelerated aging and soft, creamy, yet intense flavours.
Royal Warrant 👑
Laphroaig received its Royal Warrant after the King visited for the first time in 1994 in his previous capacity as the Prince of Wales. It is said he was impressed by the distillery’s positive impact on the environment at a time when environmental impact wasn’t particularly at the top of the agenda for the industry as a whole.
Laphroaig are currently in the process of applying for a new warrant under ‘HM the King’.
First female distillery manager 👩🏼🦳
Bessie Williamson, Scotch whisky’s first female distillery manager, initially worked at Laphroaig in a summer job as a shorthand typist. Soon enough she became the office manager, and when owner Ian Hunter fell ill, she was appointed to head up U.S. distribution. In 1954, Hunter passed away and left the distillery in the hands of his favourite and most loyal employee: Bessie. She served as Managing Director until her retirement in 1972.
Do you like Laphroaig? Is it your ‘go-to’ peated whisky? Let me know in the comments.
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