Laphroaig 10 year old

Laphroaig 10 year old malt whisky is distilled on the remote, windswept southern coast of Islay.  Pronounced "La-froyg", Laphroaig is Gaelic for "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay".  As you can see from our picture, on a sunny day it truly lives up to its name.

To make Laphroaig, malted barley is first steeped in the soft, peaty Islay water.  Then, after germination, it is dried in the swirling smoke of a peat fire (below). The smoke from this pungent, Islay peat gives Laphroaig its distinctive "peaty reek" character.

After double distillation, Laphroaig is matured in Kentucky oak casks for ten or more years, in the maturation sheds at the right of our picture.  Here it is washed by the cool, salty wind from the sea; and on a stormy night, the sea has been known to enter the sheds, swirling below the barrels.  It's no surprise, therefore, that Laphroaig's unique, peaty taste has more than a hint of iodine and the sharp, salty Atlantic air.

Flavour Profile Body 4 Sweetness 2 Smoky 4 Medicinal 4 Tobacco 1 Honey 0 Spicy 0 Winey 1 Nutty 1 Malty 1 Fruity 0 Floral 0

Drink Laphroaig neat, or with a splash of soft water.  Roll it round your tongue.  Release the pungent, earthy aroma of the blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley and the delicate, heathery perfume of Islay's streams.  Like the islanders, it's uncompromising and hardy.  But make the effort, broach acquaintance and you'll have a warm and genuine friend for life.

Laphroaig's award-winning whiskies include the rich, pungent 10 year old (profiled left), their cask-strength (57% abv) 10 year old, a 15 year old, and the smooth, rare 30 year old.  You can sense 200 years of loving care distilled into every bottle.  For more information, visit Laphroaig's website and take their excellent, virtual distillery tour.  You can even claim your own lifetime share of Laphroaig's estate and become an Islander in your own right!

Laphroaig is produced by Allied Distillers of Dumbarton, Scotland who have generously supported Whisky Classified since 1998.  We are most grateful to Brand Heritage Director Bill Bergius, his predecessor John Campbell, Master Blender Robert Hicks, and Distillery Manager Iain Henderson.