Laphroaig

Laphroaig's unique taste

Laphroaig is known for its peat/smoke flavor and is a typical Islay whisky. Some also associate Laphroaig with notes of dog paws, tar, medicine, mud, and marsh, and it is a whisky that divides opinions – a whisky you either love or hate, as Laphroaig themselves say. In any case, it is a whisky shaped by the elements and the rugged Islay landscape. Along with Ardbeg and Lagavulin, it is one of Islay's 'heavy hitters'.

Medicinal smoke and tar

One of the things that contributes to Laphroaig's smoky taste is the local peat. Islay doesn't really have much forest, so historically, peat has been the only heat source for drying the malted barley. Laphroaig's peat comes from the Glenmachrie peat bog, which, with its unique blend of heather, moss, and lichen, gives Laphroaig's flavor an iodine-like, medicinal character. If you are among those who taste tar, you're not entirely wrong. Laphroaig peats/smokes their barley before drying it, and at a very low temperature. It is this cold-smoking process that gives Laphroaig its tarry notes.