Laphroaig distillery

Laphroaig distillery stands on Islay’s south coast beside Loch Laphroaig, a small bay near Port Ellen. It is one of Scotland’s best-known single malt whisky producers, with Lagavulin and Ardbeg close by. The site was founded in 1815 by Donald and Alexander Johnston from the Clan Donald. After the Johnston family ended in 1954, manager Bessie Williamson took charge and later sold the distillery to Long John International. Whitbread bought it in 1973, then Allied Domecq in 1989, and Fortune Brands in 2005. Suntory Holdings of Osaka now owns and runs the distillery. Laphroaig is famous for its intensely peaty, smoky flavour, made using hand-cut Islay peat for about ten per cent of its malt. The standard 10-year-old is widely available, while older expressions like the 15-, 27-, 30- and 40-year-olds are rarer. In 2004 the Quarter Cask was introduced, aged in smaller barrels to soften the edge and bottled at 48% ABV. The distillery also holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, awarded in 1994 and still honoured under his Scottish title of Duke of Rothesay. Visitors walk through the working distillery to see the traditional floor maltings and copper pot stills. The warehouse displays casks maturing beside the bay’s brisk winds. A tasting room offers drams of the 10- and 15-year-olds and the Quarter Cask. Nearby, the Friends of Laphroaig Club lets members claim a dram on site. Outside, the peaty air and sea views complete the experience of one of Islay’s most characterful whisky places.