Laphroaig is the Islay distillery whose peaty, medicinal single malt is, for many whisky drinkers, what Islay tastes like. Here you will find Laphroaig 10 in three versions, Quarter Cask, Select Oak and Lore, plus rare bottlings aged from 18 up to 36 years.
Laphroaig distillery: peated Islay single malt since 1815
Laphroaig was founded in 1815 by the brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston. It sits on the south coast of Islay near Port Ellen, at the head of a small bay called Loch Laphroaig. Its water comes from the Kilbride Dam.
Ian Hunter, the last of the Johnston family to own the distillery, left it on his death in 1954 to Bessie Williamson, one of his managers. In 1994 the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, presented Laphroaig with his Royal Warrant in person during a visit. The Friends of Laphroaig club began the same year. Since 2014 the distillery has belonged to the Suntory whisky group (today Suntory Global Spirits).
How Laphroaig gets its smoke: floor maltings, Islay peat and bourbon oak
Laphroaig is one of the few Scotch distilleries that still malts some of its own barley on traditional floor maltings. Roughly a tenth of the barley is malted on site over hand-cut Islay peat: the source of the oily smoke, iodine and famous "medicinal" note.
The other half of the story is the wood. Ex-bourbon American oak barrels do most of the work, adding vanilla and sweetness that balance the smoke, with Oloroso sherry casks and small quarter casks for some expressions. For a different take on island whisky, compare Talisker single malt from Skye or Highland Park whisky from Orkney.
Laphroaig 10, Quarter Cask, Select and Lore explained
Laphroaig 10 Year Old, 10 Cask Strength and 10 Sherry Oak Finish
Laphroaig 10 is the flagship and the clearest picture of the house style: ex-bourbon barrels, peat smoke, seaweed, salt and a sweet core. The 10 Year Old Cask Strength is the same whisky at natural strength, released in batches. The Sherry Oak Finish ends in Oloroso casks for dried fruit and spice.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Introduced in 2004, Quarter Cask is matured first in ex-bourbon barrels and then in small American oak quarter casks. More wood contact gives sweeter, rounder smoke with hints of coconut and banana, bottled at 48%.
Laphroaig Select Oak and Lore
Select Oak, built with quarter casks and Oloroso butts among others, is a softer way into Laphroaig. Lore marries whiskies aged seven to 21 years from four cask types: peat smoke and seaside minerals, then bitter chocolate, ash and a chilli bite.
Rare aged Laphroaig: 18 to 36 Year Old bottlings
With age the smoke steps back and fruit, oak and salt come forward. The collector shelf runs from the 18 Year Old and 25 Year Old Cask Strength to the 30, the 36 and the 36 Year Old Peat. The 34 Year Old Ian Hunter Story Book No. 5 is the fifth and final chapter of the series dedicated to the man who shaped the distillery. For more peated and unpeated malts, browse Scotch whisky from Scotland or our full whisky collection.
Laphroaig whisky FAQ
How do you pronounce Laphroaig?
Say "la-FROYG", with the stress on the second syllable.
Why does Laphroaig taste so smoky and medicinal?
Barley dried over burning Islay peat keeps the smoke's phenols right through distilling and ageing, giving the iodine character people call medicinal.
What is the difference between Laphroaig 10 and Quarter Cask?
Laphroaig 10 spends at least ten years in ex-bourbon barrels. Quarter Cask carries no age statement and is finished in small quarter casks, making it sweeter, more intense and stronger at 48%.
Which Laphroaig should I try first?
Start with Laphroaig 10. If you want more sweetness and wood, go to Quarter Cask next, and for more power the 10 Year Old Cask Strength.
Who owns Laphroaig?
Suntory, since 2014, now as Suntory Global Spirits. The whisky is still made on Islay.