Laphroaig 25 Year Old Single Cask #5124 / Aqua Vitae Whisky Selection

A very special single cask release from Laphroaig, aged 25 years in single cask #5124.

The cask was positioned in Warehouse 7, stow 331, level 001. It was specially selected by Allen Chen of Aqua Vitae Whisky Selection, an independent bottler in Taiwan. This 'bespoke cask selection' was made in support of the Laphroaig Legacy Fund in 2017.

Laphroaig is the largest of the three heavyweight Islay distilleries in Kildalton, out-stripping the production capacity of neighbours, Ardbeg and Lagavulin, by over 1 million litres per annum. Despite its traditional appearance, Laphroaig was always a forward-thinking distillery. It was bottled as a single malt as early as the 1920s, an unfashionable option at the time, especially for a peated whisky. They were also shrewd in capitalising on post-Prohibition America to add trademark sweetness to their spirit through the use of imported ex-bourbon casks, and hired Scotland’s first ever female distillery manager, Bessie Williamson, in 1954. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland to still use in-house maltings, providing them with 20% of their annual requirements, and contributing to the distillery’s unique flavour profile.

Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun.com awarded this dram an impressive 92 points.