Laphroig

[stuartj]

Laphroig. The mad red headed member of the Scotch whisky family, even amongst the the Islay clan.

Ive been a consumer over many decades, and my tastes tend almost exclusively to Islay. Lagavulin, Arbeg and Laphroig in that order. So, its the season after all, i was given a bottle of Laphroig 10yo, and it might two years since my last one.

I think its been changed. It is just not the smack in the face with a wet North Sea mackeral that it used to be.

Its like they've made it - nicer, more accessible. I might ofcourse be imaging things. Any thoughts amongst the cognoscenti?

[unclebilly]

Every batch is a bit different. Even distilleries change what their 10yr single malt consists of, the casks they use make a big difference too and of course aren’t always the same.

[LWJ]

Me? I really am not a fan or consumer of Islay beverages.

But my BIL? He is. He was in med school in Manhattan when he met the marketing director of Laphroig. Marketing guy says "if you are ever in Scotland, look me up." They promptly forgot and some years passed. Until one day, they were in Scotland and were scheduled to go to Laphroig the very next day. They text the Marketing guy. He says, I am in California. Sorry. But then a late text comes through. He has set up a private tour for my BIL and SIL! The tour is great but the final bit is even better. They are brought to a small cask and the (whatever the person working in a distillery is called) pulls a small bit of whiskey from the cask. He says "this is Prince Charles' personal cask." He is coming next week to pick this up. We need to test it first. Do you want some?

So now my BIL is an exclusive consumer of Laphroig. Thanks to a world class tour and experience at the distillery.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Me? I really am not a fan or consumer of Islay beverages.

But my BIL? He is. He was in med school in Manhattan when he met the marketing director of Laphroig. Marketing guy says "if you are ever in Scotland, look me up." They promptly forgot and some years passed. Until one day, they were in Scotland and were scheduled to go to Laphroig the very next day. They text the Marketing guy. He says, I am in California. Sorry. But then a late text comes through. He has set up a private tour for my BIL and SIL! The tour is great but the final bit is even better. They are brought to a small cask and the (whatever the person working in a distillery is called) pulls a small bit of whiskey from the cask. He says "this is Prince Charles' personal cask." He is coming next week to pick this up. We need to test it first. Do you want some?

So now my BIL is an exclusive consumer of Laphroig. Thanks to a world class tour and experience at the distillery.

That is a fantastic story.

[oldE]

Whiskey distilling and handling is a very organic process. The quality of the barley malted, sugar content, atmospheric pressure and what barrels it is stored in are all factors. I used to appreciate the Islay malts, but tend to go for the Speyside, more subtle varieties, Glen Grant and Glen Rothes in particular. If you ever get the chance, try Klinish. It is made in a small town called Brora, about an hour north of Inverness. If I recall correctly, it spends 8 years in bourbon casks and 4 years in sherry and is slightly higher in alcohol content but it is SO smooth.

[Bob Kontak]

I went to a distillery in Mabou, NS six years back. Glenora, near St John's. They say they have the oldest single malt whiskey in North America. Glen Breton Rare.

The first pic is from the internet. They had very large vats in a separate area behind me when taking a pic of the distillation equipment. Production was shut down when I went in Sept of 2019.

The rack of whiskeys are pulled from stages in the distilling process with the far end being the tastiest. The first was pretty harsh.

[Erakad]

That's my order as well (Lagavulin, Arbeg and Laphroig); love that smokey scotch flavor, and so do my kids! Guess it's time to buy a bottle of Laphroig and see where it's been the last few years. A few years back I was in Scotland, but to my big regret, didn't have enough time for an excursion to Islay...but, it still is on a future itinerary!