Laphroaig 18yo 2024 Release

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

The 2024 release brought Laphroaig's 18-year-old expression back after almost a decade. This single malt spent its entire 18-year maturation in American oak casks previously used for bourbon. No sherry casks or other wood types were used for this bottling.

The long maturation softens the sharper edges of Islay peat without obscuring its smoky character. Intense vanilla, sweet ripe fruit and honey combine with warm spice and the woody aspects of peat smoke. The whisky is bottled at 48%, without chill filtration or added colouring, and comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Peat smoke accompanies sweet vanilla and soft toffee. Gooseberries, Bramley apples and cinnamon join the scent of a freshly baked apple tart sprinkled with sugar. Leather, honey, smoked ham, carbolic soap and sun-dried seaweed add to the aroma.
• Palate: On the palate, the whisky feels oily, sweet and full-bodied. Cinnamon and freshly baked apple tart meet orange and nectarine. Fresh mint, heather honey and subtle ginger lead into peaty, medicinal notes with iodine and fresh tobacco leaves.
• Finish: The finish is full, sweet and rich. Fruity impressions combine with fresh mint and herbs, while woody peat smoke lingers, leaving a savoury aftertaste.

Distillery/Bottler:

This Islay single malt comes from Laphroaig Distillery and is an official distillery bottling. The distillery has its own malting floors: the barley is soaked for two days in water from the Kilbride Stream, then spread across the floor and turned daily. Open windows help regulate the temperature with cool Atlantic air.

In the peat kilns, the still-damp malt absorbs smoke for around ten to twelve hours before being dried completely. Laphroaig burns Islay peat at a comparatively low temperature for this process. This cold smoking contributes to its characteristic tarry impression. Double distillation takes place in three larger copper wash stills and four smaller copper spirit stills. Slow distillation and the high-set pipes connecting the stills to the condensers limit the passage of heavy oils into the spirit.

Facts: