Laphroaig Debuts 30-Year-Old Scotch Whisky Aged in Bourbon Barrels
This top-shelf bottle is a limited edition collector’s item for discerning scotch fans.
Laphroaig’s latest premium scotch whisky is the first in a 15-year series that honors one of its most pivotal proprietors.
The 30-year-old expression is named “The Ian Hunter Story – Book 1: Unique Character” after the final man in the Johnston family—the Port Ellen-based distillery’s founding fathers—to own and manage Laphroaig from 1908 to 1944.
“His impact can still be seen today,” said distillery manager John Campbell in a video accompanying the release. “He expanded the floor maltings at Laphroaig, knowing that the sea air conduction would impart some unique flavor profiles.”
Hunter also introduced the American white oak barrels into the maturation process. Accordingly, the non-chill filtered scotch was aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, resulting in a complex profile that includes sweet, zesty and even medicinal flavors.
Here are Book 1’s official tasting notes:
Color: Burnished gold.
Nose: Sweet and medicinal with manuka honey, light peat smoke, cooked apple and rosemary vanilla. Orgeat syrup and a hint of lemon peel to complete the aroma.
Palate: Peaty and peppery with notes of herbs, cedar, kumquat zest and gorse flower.
Finish: Coastal with subtle iodine, sea salt and seaweed notes. A touch of coffee and oaky character.
Proof: 46.7% ABV.
Even with a decidedly sky-high price of $1,250 per bottle, Laphroaig “The Ian Hunter Story – Book 1: Unique Character” is already sold out.
Keep your eyes for Book 2 to arrive in 2020, and learn more about the Ian Hunter series here.
Read This Next
