Laphroaig distillery ( ) is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky distillery. It is named after the area of land at the head of Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of the island of Islay. The meaning of the

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

is unknown, but a commonly suggested etymology includes the elements "lag" (Gaelic: hollow), "breid" (Norse: 'breidd' breadth) and "vik" (Norse: 'vík' 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

Beam Suntory Beam Suntory, Inc. is an American-founded, Japanese multinational company that produces alcoholic beverages. It is a subsidiary of Suntory, based in Osaka, Japan. It is the third largest producer of distilled beverages worldwide, behind Diageo ...

, the American subsidiary of Japan's Suntory Holdings.

History

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 anglicised their name to Johnston. The last member of the Johnston family to run the distillery was Ian Hunter, a nephew of Sandy Johnston, who died childless in 1954 and left the distillery to one of his managers, Bessie Williamson. The distillery was sold to Long John International, a Scottish distiller in the 1960s. In 1973, Long John International and the distillery were acquired by

Whitbread Whitbread plc is a multinational British hotel and restaurant company headquartered in Houghton Regis, England. The business was founded as a brewery in 1742, and had become the largest brewery in the world by the 1780s. Its largest division ...

. In 1989, the distillery was sold by Whitbread to become part of

Allied Domecq Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard. Th ...

. 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. Beam was then purchased by Suntory Holdings in April 2014. Laphroaig has been the only

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...

to carry the Royal Warrant of the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, which was awarded in person during a visit to the distillery in 1994. The distillery identifies Charles by his title of Duke of Rothesay, as he is recognised in Scotland. The 15-year-old is reportedly then prince's and now King Charles III's favorite Scotch whisky.

Taste

Expensive Laphroaig whiskies on Viking Amorella

Laphroaig calls itself "the most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies", and is most frequently aged to 10 years, although the 15-year-old variety is common (the 27-, 30- and 40-year-olds are rare and expensive; the 18-year-old was discontinued in late 2015).Noah Rothbaum
"How to Survive a Single-Malt Drought"
''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', January 28, 2016. The whisky has a peaty/smoky flavour. Approximately 10% of their barley is malted on site using hand-cut

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...

from locations on Islay. The ''Laphroaig Quarter Cask'' was introduced in 2004. This expression is aged in ex-bourbon barrels, is finished in smaller casks, and is not chill filtered. Due to the smaller barrels used, the oak surface contact is 30% greater than with standard barrels. The company describes the effect of this as "creating a soft and velvety edge". The Quarter Cask is bottled at 48% ABV (96 proof).Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion, Edition 6, page 307. The 10-year-old standard-bearer is bottled at 40% or 43% ABV, depending on the local market. There are also expressions now selling in Travel Retail: Laphroaig QA cask (matured in ex-bourbon barrels and virgin American oak casks), Laphroaig PX cask (matured in three types of wood – from American oak to Quarter Cask to Pedro Ximenez ex-sherry), Laphroaig An Cuan Mor – Big Ocean (matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and then in European oak).

Friends of Laphroaig

In 1994, the Friends of Laphroaig Club was established, members of which are granted a lifetime lease of up to per person of Laphroaig land on the island of Islay. The annual royalty from owning a plot is a dram of Laphroaig which can be obtained upon visiting the distillery. Friends of Laphroaig was revamped in 2020, from lifetime status to an annualized tier-based system starting in 2021, whereby members gained annual access to club benefits commensurate with points earned under the program's new rules.

Advertising

In early 2016, Scottish poet

Elvis McGonagall Elvis McGonagall (born Richard Smith; December 22, 1960) is a Scottish poet and stand-up comedian who is especially notable for poetry slam performances. Biography McGonagall was born in Perth, Scotland, and now lives in Stroud in South West ...

began appearing in online ads, reciting his own poetry as he humorously discussed the correct pronunciation of Laphroaig whisky.

Managers

*James A. McLennan 1919 (formerly manager of the Bowmore distillery) *Edward Shaw 1928-32 (afterwards manager of the Glenburgie distillery) *John MacDougall 1970-74 (afterwards manager of Tormore distillery) *Dennis Nicol 1974-80 *Murdo Reed 1980-87 (afterwards manager of Tormore distillery) *Colin Ross 1987-89 (formerly manager of the Ben Nevis distillery) *Iain Henderson 1989-2002 *Robin Sheilds 2003-2005 *John Campbell 2006-2021 *Barry MacAffer 2021-

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Laphroaig official website
{{Scottish Distilleries 1825 establishments in Scotland Beam Suntory British Royal Warrant holders Companies based in Argyll and Bute Whisky distilleries in Islay