About Laphroaig
(la-FROY’g)
Located on Islay's southern coast, the Laphroaig distillery is known for its pungent, heavily peated single malt whiskies. The profound and unique character of these oily, smoky, medicinal whiskies has divided opinion since the distillery was founded. Once highly prized by blenders, Laphroaig is now the best-selling Islay single malt, enjoyed by whisky enthusiasts the world over, including King Charles who awarded the distillery a Royal Warrant in 1994.
On Islay, Laphroaig Distillery is fortunate to draw on the Kilbride Stream, a plentiful source of peaty, mineral-rich water. Used as a coolant throughout the whisky-making process and as a key ingredient, it lends soft, peaty, and flavoursome notes to the spirit. The island’s peat bogs are also unique, shaped by the absence of forests. Instead, the peat is formed largely from heather, lichen, and moss, giving Laphroaig its distinctive herbal qualities. Mixed into this is ancient sea vegetation, a legacy of the time when Islay lay beneath the ocean. This maritime influence is one of the defining factors that sets Laphroaig apart from whiskies made with mainland peat, shaping its unmistakable character from earth and water to fine whisky.
At Laphroaig, it all begins with barley. In the malting house, the steeps at the top are filled with water from the Kilbride Stream, where the barley is soaked for two days before being drained and moved as green malt to the malting floor. Each floor can hold up to seven tonnes of barley, spread out and carefully turned on a daily basis to encourage germination. This rotation and spacing are vital, as they determine how much starch converts to sugar. It is a task carried out seven days a week, a true labour of love for the distillery’s Maltmen. To help regulate temperature, the windows are periodically opened, letting in the cool Atlantic air. This ocean breeze carries a touch of salt in its moisture, contributing the distinctive salty notes that appear in Laphroaig’s whisky.
Built in 1840, Laphroaig’s peat kilns overlook the bay, and it is here that the peat is burned to impart the barley with the distillery’s signature smoky flavour. Unlike most distilleries, Laphroaig infuses the barley with peat smoke before drying it. For 10 to 12 hours, the smoke - known locally as “peat reek” rises through a perforated drying floor into the kiln, where the vapourised oils, phenolic compounds, and wood-based smoky flavours are absorbed by the damp barley. The peat is burned at a relatively low temperature, creating a “cold-smoking” process that gives Laphroaig its characteristic tarry note. Once the grain has been malted, it is spread on mesh and raised 16 feet above the peat fire. At this height, the drying process is slower, allowing the moist barley to absorb more flavour. When fully dried, the barley is ready to move on to the mash house.
