Laphroaig, founded in 1815 by brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston, has an extremely rich history; neighbourly disputes with Lagavulin and many ownership changes to name a couple. The 10 Year Old Single Malt is Laphroaig's signature malt that is full sparkling gold in colour and has that signature rich smoke and seaweed character with a hint of sweetness. Surprisingly the palate is rich with subtle sweet hints and complex layers of salt and peatiness that evolve on the palate and continue to the long and dry finish.

Something of a mystery Laphroaig with very little information available. Created from selected casks from each of the distillery's key styles (Quarter Cask, PX, Triple Wood, and 10 year old) with one exception - the heart of the spirit is sourced from a final maturation in virgin American oak. Seasoned whisky drinkers will be aware that new wood is rarely used in Scotch Whisky maturation. Instead, almost all whisky is put into casks that have previously held other beverages, usually Bourbon or Sherry. New wood tends to stamp its inherent flavours into the whisky in a definitive way. Can we expect this to be a battle between peat reek and coconut? Natural colour.

The Quarter Cask is a strong, double cask matured, non-chill filtered malt from the iconic Islay distillery, Laphroaig. With a nose of burning peat embers and hints of coconut and bananas that is then followed by a palate that is deep and complex with smoky flavours. Still quite gentle with a hint of sweetness, this 48% Single Malt has a long, spicy and smoky finish that seems to last an eternity.

This special Laphroaig is crafted from carefully selected casks from each of the distillery's key styles - with one notable addition. The heart of this single malt is drawn from a final maturation in new American Oak casks, a rarity used for Scotch whisky maturation. With spirit selected by the master distiller from Quarter Cask, PX Cask and Triple Wood (European Oak casks) and a final addition of 10 Year Old, the whisky represents a subtle blending of peat, oak and sweetness. This is a full-bodied expression, featuring Laphroaig's trademark 'peat reek' matched by an additional layer of complexity and depth brought about by the fusion of the maturation styles and different oaks.