Allow us to introduce The Archive Collection, a limited series honouring the Distiller’s craft, patience and hard work.
The first release in our newest Collection is a 36-year-old single malt which brings a new dimension to the unmistakable flavour of Laphroaig.
This whisky’s journey began in the mid-80s and during its 36 years maturing, six different Distillery Managers have watched over it. Murdo Reed was Distillery Manager when the spirit was laid into casks. Over its 36 years, it has been watched over by Colin Ross, Iain Henderson, Robin Shields, John Campbell and finally Barry MacAffer.
Colour
Rich honeyed amber
Nose
Honey sweet with hints of white peach and mango, followed by creamy dark toffee, vanilla and cedar wood, then subtle oil of wintergreen and notes of singed sage and liquorice root
Palate
Zesty and sweet with orange and tropical fruit, mouth coating initially then moving to mouth drying
Finish
Warm and lingering to finish which brings out the peat in the mouth and the salt on the lips
Maturation
Matured in American oak casks and finished in a sherry-seasoned Oloroso hogshead, giving rich flavour and depth.
Sea glass is a rare find on the beaches of Islay. It takes years of weathering from the salty sea waves to turn the sharp edges of glass fragments into the smooth curves that can be found by the eagle-eyed once they wash up on the shores.
The Archive Collection 36 Year Old is also the result of many years’ work, sharp flavours gradually rounding into smooth as the liquid ages from its teens to its twenties and then to its thirties. Liquids of this age have been through many changes in flavour, but the quintessential Laphroaig taste of peat always makes itself known.
As our Master Blender knows only too well, preserving the peat and smokiness of a 36-year-old is a singular challenge that requires years of patience and intuition. From deciding which casks to use, to considering the weather and climate, a lot of thought and effort goes into the making of a whisky as special as The Archive Collection 36 Year Old – it’s as much a science as it is an art.
A BROAD SPECTRUM OF FLAVOURS
Laphroaig whiskies of this age tend to go through a ‘change curve’ of flavours, according to Distillery Manager Barry MacAffer. First come the red fruits in its teenage years, then tropical fruit flavours push the peat smoke to take a backseat in the twenties. By the time the liquid reaches its thirties, the fruity flavours from the ex-bourbon casks have really come into their own, and the smoky, peaty notes begin to come out of retireme.nt.
As one of our oldest releases yet, The Archive Collection 36 Year Old is full-flavoured and peaty with a salty edge. Its maturation happens in American Oak casks, with finishing in a second fill Oloroso hogshead adding layers and layers of subtle, complex depths. This whisky has a powerful character, but gradually unveils a surprisingly fruity flavour beneath our signature style with tropical fruit notes topped with dark toffee and sweet vanilla.
Distillery Manager Barry MacAffer could hardly contain his excitement at getting to taste this first release from The Archive Collection for the first time. This 36 year old is a striking and refined tasting experience, with its sherry seasoning making for a hearty, rich depth of flavour then, in Barry’s words, “right at the end the peat smoke reminds you – it’s Laphroaig“
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