Around 1815, brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston leased out over 1000 acres of the Laird of Islay for the purposes of rearing cattle. Cattle require “feed” barley – and growing barley leads to surplus. Born and bred Scotsmen, the Johnstons knew only one way to go: distill whisky. And thus, was born Laphroaig Distillery.
Kilbride Stream’s particularly soft, peaty water with a lack of minerals was a key ingredient in creating the distinctly smoky, herbal malts of Laphroaig. With a Royal Warrant and patronage from HRH Prince Charles in the year 1998 – the distillery proudly flaunts the Royal Coat of Arms on their bottles as well as their building walls.
In 1994, the Friends of Laphroaig Club was established where the members are granted a lifetime lease of up to 1 square foot (930 cm2) per person of Laphroaig land on the island of Islay. The club was revamped in 2020, from lifetime status to an annualized tier-based system starting in 2021, whereby members gained annual access to club benefits commensurate with points earned under the program’s new rules.
In terms of cask investment, Laphroaig casks have seen extraordinary growth over the last few years, with an almost 20% increase in value through 2020.
Effortlessly championing the grassy, peaty style of Islay malts, Laphroaig Distillery has etched its name onto Scotch history.
Region: Islay
Area: Isle of Islay / Argyll
Current Owner: D Johnston & Company (Beam Suntory)
Founded : 1815
Founder : The Johnston Family
No. of wash stills: 3
No. of spirit stills: 4
Capacity (litres): 3,300,000.00
Website: www.laphroaig.com
English