Laphroaig Whisky |
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| Region: Islay | |
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| Location | Port Ellen |
| Owner | Beam Inc. |
| Founded | 1815 |
| Status | Operational |
| Water source | The Kilbride Dam |
| Number of stills | 3 wash 4 spirit |
| Capacity | 2,600,000 litres |
| Laphroaig | |
| Age(s) | 10-year-old 10-year-old (cask strength) Quarter Cask 15-year-old (now discontinued) 18-year-old 25-year-old 27-year-old 30-year-old 40-year-old |
| Cask type(s) | Bourbon |
Laphroaig (i/ləˈfrɔɪɡ/ lə-froyg),[1] is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery and brand name. It is named for the area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of the Isle of Islay. The meaning of the toponym is unknown but a commonly suggested derivation implies the elements "lag" (Gaelic: hollow), "breid" (Norse: broad) and "vik" (Norse: bay), implying an original Gaelic form something like "Lag Bhròdhaig" (the hollow of Broadbay). The name may be related to a placename on the east coast of Islay, "Pròaig", again suggested as meaning "broad bay". The distillery and brand are owned and operated by the American spirits company Beam Inc..
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The Laphroaig distillery was established in 1815 by Donald and Alexander Johnston. The Johnstons who founded Laphroaig were from the Clan Donald and are likely to be from the MacIain of Ardnamurchan branch of the clan. The family anglicized their name to Johnston.[2]
Their descendants ran the distillery until 1887, when it passed to the Hunter family. They in turn ran the distillery until 1954, when Ian Hunter (who had no children) died and left the distillery to one of his managers, Bessie Williamson.
The distillery was sold to Long John International in the 1960s, and subsequently became part of Allied Domecq.[3] The brand was in turn acquired by Fortune Brands in 2005, as one of the brands divested by Pernod Ricard in order to obtain regulatory approval for its takeover of Allied Domecq. Fortune Brands then split up its business product lines in 2011, forming its spirits business into Beam Inc.
Laphroaig has been the only whisky to carry the Royal Warrant of the Prince of Wales, which was awarded in person during a visit to the distillery in 1994. The 15-year-old is reportedly the prince's favourite Scotch whisky.
Laphroaig is one of the most strongly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies, and is most frequently aged to 10 years, although the 15- (now discontinued) and 18-year-old varieties are common (the 27-, 30- and 40-year-olds are rare and expensive). The company describes their whisky as the most distinctive of Scotch whisky.
In an attempt to re-create the taste of historic whiskies, Laphroaig carried out experiments. Recently the Laphroaig Quarter Cask has been introduced. By using smaller casks and by avoiding chill filtering, the Quarter Cask Single Malt is supposed to taste like the type of whisky that was distilled 200 years ago.[3] Due to the smaller barrel used, the oak surface contact is 30% greater than with standard barrels. Quarter casks were preferred in the 18th century, when smuggling was rife. These smaller barrels were easier for mules to carry (a favoured means of cross-land transportation). The Quarter Cask is bottled at 96 proof (48% ABV), or 20% stronger than the standard, normally bottled at 40%.[4] The standard bearer 10-year-old bottling has also been bottled at 43% ABV.[4]
In 1994 the Friends of Laphroaig Club was established, members of which are granted a lifetime lease of 1 square foot (0.093 m2) of Laphroaig land on the island of Islay. The annual rent is a dram of Laphroaig which can be obtained upon visiting the distillery.[5]
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