About Laphroaig 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Laphroaig Single Malt Whisky is one of the most flavorful and intense whiskies made anywhere in the world. During Prohibition, it was one of the few whiskies still legally imported into the United States, as it was considered a medicinal spirit. Laphroaig Single Malt is made from the finest Scottish barley, which is then malted at the distillery and smoked over a peat flame. Unlike other distilleries which source peat from the Scottish mainland, the peat used to smoke Laphroaig barley is made of from the heather, mosses and lichens of Islay and adds a distinct iodine-like flavor to the whisky.
After the barley has been malted and peated, it is fermented before being twice-distilled through Laphroaig's copper-pot stills. The unique stills have an usually flat base and flat surfaces, which lends to the overall intensity of the whisky. After the whisky has been distilled, it is aged in seasoned oak barrels, which are re-charred prior to being filled. The re-charring process caramelizes the remaining sugars in the barrel, and adds slightly sweet notes of vanilla and nutty dough to the whisky.
Laphroaig 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky is aged for 18 years in the distillery's warehouses, which are situated along the shores of Loch Laphroaig. As a result, the whisky is imbued with a slightly salty tang that compliment its notes of oaky sweetness, dried citrus and peat. Following maturation, the whisky is bottled without the use of chill filtration.
Laphroaig 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made in limited quantities each year. The whisky earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2011 and 2012, and earned a score of 95 points from the Beverage Testing Institute.
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About Laphroaig
Situated on the southern coast of Islay, Laphroaig (pronounced La-froyg) Distillery was founded nearly two centuries ago by Donald and Alexander Johnston. The distillery derives its name from the ancient Gaelic word "lag"(meaning hollow) and the ancient Norse word "vik"(meaning bay), which refers to its location on the shores of Loch Laphroaig.
In 1836, Donald Johnston offered his brother £350 for his interests the distillery, and ultimately became the sole proprietor of Laphroaig Distillery. For over a century, the distillery would remain in the hands of one of Johnston's descendants. In 1954, however, Ian Hunter passed away childless and bequeathed the distillery to Bessie Williamson, a secretary that had been working at the distillery for two decades. Hunter was incredibly protective of the distillery — while he slowly revealed its secrets to Williamson after she had earned his trust, Hunter prevented a cooper who was employed at the distillery from publishing his memoirs because they described the workings of the distillery in too great a detail.
About Scotch
Scotch is the most popular whisky in the world and is considered the king of them all! There are five whisky regions in Scotland (six if you count the not officially recognized Islands), and each of them produces spirits with unique properties and distinct tasting notes. (The type of grain used determents the type of the scotch.)
Malt whisky is made of malted barley, and grain whisky uses other grains like corn or wheat. Most of the time, a whisky is blended from different distilleries hence the name blended scotch, but if a malt whisky is produced in a single distillery, we get something extraordinary called a single malt.
Check out our impressive selection of scotch whiskies, find your new favorite in the Top 10 scotch whiskies, or explore our treasury of rare & hard to find scotch whiskies.
