Laphroaig 10 was the first scotch I ever tasted. And while many people find it an acquired taste, I instantly fell in love. I’ve been a scotch drinker ever since. So taking the Laphroaig Distillery tour on Islay, and experiencing the beauty behind the scenes, was incredible.
Founded in 1815, Laphroaig Distillery has long been famous for what many call its smoky, medicinal flavor profile. (More on how it gets that way below.) In fact, during the US Prohibition, the distillery owner told American customs agents that the seaweedy smell was due to iodine in the whisky, and therefore it was medicinal. The agents believed him, and Laphroaig was sold in the U.S. throughout Prohibition.
Many people credit that availability during Prohibition to Laphroaig’s popularity in the United States. I’ll argue it’s just good whisky! Here’s what I discovered while touring Laphroaig Distillery during my time on Islay.
The Beauty Behind the Scenes: Touring Laphroaig Distillery on Islay
Laphroaig Distillery on Islay
Along with 10 other distilleries, Laphroaig Distillery calls the tiny island of Islay (pronounced “EYE-lah”) home. Why so many distilleries on such a tiny island of just 25 square miles? Islay was — and still is — difficult to get to. And back in the day, the tax collectors thought it was full of barbarians, so they never ventured out there.
So the distilleries on the remote island illicitly distilled without being caught for decades. By the time they all applied for legal licenses, they’d perfected their craft — and distinguished the characteristics of their whisky.
Islay is still remote, rugged, and home to more sheep than people. (The population is barely 3,000!) But the wind-swept island is beautifully green, with stunning views at every turn.
The Laphroaig Distillery Tour
Touring Laphroaig Distillery was first on our agenda our second day on Islay, so we arrived bright and early. The sun shone down on the white buildings, exaggerating the contrast between them and the surrounding greenery and blue bay. It was the type of day that made me feel like the “dreary Scotland” notion was just a farce. (But in true Scotland fashion, by the time we got to Bunnahabhain later that afternoon, it was raining!)
Laphroaig offers several distillery experiences, from warehouse tastings to adventures to the water source. We took the Experience Tour to see all of the behind-the-scenes action to make one of my favorite whiskies.
The Malting Floors at Laphroaig
Several things make Laphroaig Distillery unique. First, it’s one of just seven distilleries in Scotland with its own malting floor. And the Laphroaig Distillery tour lets you see it! What’s a malting floor, you ask?
During the first part of the whisky-making process, barley is soaked in water to break down its cell walls. (This mimics springlike conditions, so the barley germinates.) Once it germinates, the barley is dried out by spreading it on a perforated floor. Underneath is a kiln where peat is burned, releasing peaty smoke into the barley — and giving Laphroaig its signature smoky flavor!
On the malting floor, the barley is turned about every 46 hours. (More in the summer.) The goal is to get the barley to about 45% moisture. After watching workers spread barley out on the malting floors, I didn’t think the tour could get any better. Then we went to the kilns…
Adding Peat to the Fire
The next part of the Laphroaig Distillery tour takes guests to the peat kilns, built in 1840. It looks just like I would have expected, had I ever thought about it before. A pile of peat sits behind closed doors, almost on fire — they are looking for smoke, not heat. What is peat, you ask?
Peat is partially petrified vegetation, formed over thousands of years in wetlands. Peat bogs are cut into large bricks, then dried outside for months. (We even visited a peat bog on Islay!) Once dried, they are burned as a fuel source. Even today, homes are heated with burning peat, and beautiful wafts of peat can be smelled on Islay and even some parts of Ireland.
At Laphroaig, they burn peat for 15-16 hours underneath the barley. It’s burnt at a low temperature, which supposedly creates the “tarry” flavors in Laphroaig. Then they switch to hot air for another 17-19 hours until the barley is completely dry. Not only did we get to see the peat fires, we got to add peat to the fire!
Then we returned upstairs to see the room filled with peat smoke. It was one of the most beautiful smells in the world! (And yes, I even grabbed a piece of barley to taste — it was delicious!)
The Stills at Laphroaig
The Laphroaig Distillery tour continued with the stills. At Laphroaig, the still house is a large, open room lined with seven giant stills. Big windows let the sun shine in on the stills. It’s beautiful.
As you’ve likely picked up by now, every step in the whisky-making process helps create the unique flavor that is Laphroaig. (And this is true for every distillery and its unique flavor profile.) That continues even in the still house.
Like most scotch, Laphroaig double distills their spirit. But during the second distillation, the first cut of the spirit run isn’t made for 45 minutes — the latest first cut in the industry. And the second cut is also pretty late, not until the alcohol content drops to 60%. Supposedly this maintains the tarry, medicinal, and peaty notes of the spirit instead of adding sweetness.
Filling the Casks
The next step in the whisky-making process — and the next part of the Laphroaig Distillery tour — is filling the casks. The small room is full of empty casks and a machine to fill them up. It takes only 10 seconds to fill a cask!
Then the casks are transported to the warehouse, located right on site. Because they are located right at the distillery — which is to say, right on the water — the influence of the ocean air makes its way into the barrels, adding a nautical, salty note to the whisky.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to see inside the warehouses. I admit that was one disappointment, since I love being surrounded by sleeping whisky barrels.
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We ended the Laphroaig Distillery tour with a whisky tasting in the visitor’s center. I was slightly disappointed that we tasted the basic whisky we’d all had before: Laphroaig 10, Laphroaig Lore, and Cask Strength 10.
But after experiencing everything at the distillery, there was no way to be disappointed. It’s one of the most thorough, interesting distillery tours I’ve ever been on. And next time I’m doing the Laphroaig experience that includes a hike to the water source, tastings straight from the cask in the warehouse, and hand-bottling my own whisky.
Related :: What to Know Before Going to Islay, the Ultimate Guide to Distilleries on Islay, and more Scotland Distilleries
