and sometimes hard stuff is good to find.

thanks to the inspiration of vulcanel, this is the official drink of the VWT:




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laphroaig


Laphroaig Distillery (pronounced /ləˈfrɔɪɡ/ lə-FROYG[1]) is a Scotch whisky distillery situated on the south coast of the isle of Islay.

Laphroaig is a single malt Scotch whisky.

The Laphroaig distillery (the name means "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay"[2]) was established in 1815, by Alex and Donald Johnston. The 'Johnston' brothers were actually McCabes, of the Clan Donald, who changed their names following the failed Jacobite uprising, and settled on the Isle of Islay.

Their descendants ran the distillery until 1887, when it passed to the Hunter family. They in turn ran the distillery until 1954, when Ian Hunter (who had no children) died and left the distillery to one of his managers, Bessie Williamson.

The distillery was sold to Long John International in the 1960s, and subsequently became part of Allied Domecq.[3] The brand was in turn acquired by Fortune Brands in 2005, as one of the brands divested by Pernod Ricard in order to obtain regulatory approval for its takeover of Allied Domecq.

Laphroaig has been the only whisky to carry the Royal Warrant of the Prince of Wales (the 15-year-old is reportedly his favourite scotch whisky), which was awarded in person during a visit to the distillery in 1994.
[edit] Taste
Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Laphroaig is considered one of the most strongly flavoured of all scotch whiskies, and is most frequently aged to 10 years, although the 15 and 18 year old varieties are common (the 27, 30 and 40 year olds however, are rare and expensive). In an attempt to re-create the taste of historic whiskies, Laphroaig carried out experiments. Recently the Laphroaig Quarter Cask has been introduced. By using smaller casks and by avoiding chill filtering, the Quarter Cask Single Malt is supposed to taste like the type of whisky that was distilled 100 years ago.[4]

Until 2005, the standard 10 year old bottling contained an alcohol percentage of 43%, after which it was changed to the Scotch whisky standard of 40%.
[edit] Friends of Laphroaig

In 1994 the Friends of Laphroaig Club was established, members of which are granted a lifetime lease of 1 square foot (0.093 m2) of land on the island of Islay. The annual rent is a dram of Laphroaig which can be obtained upon visiting the distillery.[5]

http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/jhb/whisky/smws/29.html


I once heard a curious anecdote about Laphroaig, which I haven't been able to confirm: Apparently during the American prohibition on alcohol they stopped importation of Scotch, but some of the most phenolic stuff (ie Laphroaig) managed to slip through the net: It was imported as a *disinfectant*. The customs authorities must have thought that nothing smelling like Laph. could be drunk for any other than medical purposes... [ag, 1995]

I don't know about the disinfectant story but Laphroaig was the single best selling whisky legally during prohibition in the U.S. It was prescribed to those in need of medicinal alcohol (probably because it has been described as smelling of gauze). [rw, 1995]

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Laphroaig_Malt_Whisky__Review_5359393



Not for the timid

4 Oct 4th, 2003

Advantages:
Strong tastes

Disadvantages:
Medicine and coarse tastes in the 10 - year

Recommendable: Yes

Review rated by 69 Ciao members on average: very helpful

Scotch from the western Isles (as distinct from the Highlands and the Lowlands) tend to be lumped together geographically, and do share some of the same aspects, but are in fact rather unique. The Laphroaig (pronounced 'Laf-royg') in particular is an outstanding Scotch whisky. There are many who will drink no other, although others who will not touch the stuff.
There is a distinct iodine-taste in this to some (and I must confess, I detect it myself) -- perhaps this helped its popularity during prohibition, as 'medicinal whisky' became a familiar taste.

The distillery in located on a small bay, put up in the early 1800s as part of a farm. At first the Johnston family ran the place, until the 1920s when Seager Evans bought an interest, and finally purchasing the place outright in 1972 under the name Long John

International. This distillery also had the distinction of being run by a woman (very rare, then or now) during the 1950s.Laphroaig single malt is bottled as 10 year (at 43% alcohol) and 15 year (at 40% alcohol). The flavour, in many respects rather stronger than mainland single malts, does not come from barley (as they do) but rather from peat, produced in abudance on the Western Isles. This helps given Laphroaig an instantly recognisable taste, and a scent (which some claim contains, in addition to the iodine, a saltiness from the bay by the distillery).

The 10-year is bright and clear, a light and golden colour, Laphroaig has a deceptive smokiness to its flavour that one would not expect from such a lustrous presentation. It is a bit rough, as befits the wild, untamed atmosphere of the geography: one commentator said, Make sure you have a whip and a chair handy after you open this beastie.
This single-malt is not high on my lists, and would not be one I would likely serve guests I wanted to return; however, for a more rustic feel, and for serving with a coarser fare of food, I could easily imagine this -- perhaps it goes well with haggis? I do, however, occasionally order this as a change of pace. There is a marked difference between this 10-year and the 15-year product, which is much higher on my list.

The 15-year Laphroaig is a more refined and more evolved Scotch whisky than the 10-year Laphroaig. If the 10-year Laphroaig is the country cousin, the 15-year is the city dweller. A single-malt Islay of 43% alcohol like the 10-year, this product of the peat-abundant bay area is more elegant, more refined, and (in my humble opinion) a much better, mature offering. The addition five years has not been wasted!
The nose is elegant -- the medicine-quality Iodine scent (and smell) is much less noticeable here, if at all. The peat scent is still a dominant one. While many Scotch whiskies have barley as a primary scent and taste, that is absent here, as peat takes the place of barley in the processing.

There is a wide array of flavours, however, that are not masked by the peat, and these are brought out in a much more subtle, refined yet direct way than in the 10-year Laphroaig. There is a oiliness to this whisky. This helps keep the flavour sliding around the mouth and tongue for a long while. Oak, a hint of smokiness perhaps, but just a tad, sherry and perhaps even a bit of cheese can be detected among the varied taste sensations.
The finish of this is strong and bold, but not overpowering by any means. While I would hesitate to offer the 10-year as anything other than a paint thinner (save, of course, when I am in a funky mood in which paint thinner is just the thing), I would never stop from offering the 15-year Laphroaig to anyone in casual or elegant settings.

There are those who swear by the 10-year, however, and of course no two tastes will be completely the same. However, that there is a wide divergence in Scotch whisky tastes has been well-attested through history. This is because the three aspects of taste (bouquet or nose, actual taste and aftertaste) combine on a particular palate to activate experiences (which will be invariably different) and sensory organs (always different arranged), and there is wide variability in the Scotch whiskies themselves (even from year to year, slight differences will arise).
The Islay offerings are not the ones to start with, if you have never experienced Scotch whisky before. But for a change of pace, I do recommend the Laphroaig. Do see if you can get a glass to sample before investing the bottle. Or, if you invest in the bottle and find you don't care for it, send it to me (if it the 15-year) or set it next to the paint bucket in the shed (if the 10-year).