A 31-year-old Laphroaig distilled in 1974, matured in sherry casks and bottled at 49.7% ABV. Spirit from this decade shows a gentler, fruit-led side of the distillery, and this release is well regarded for the way its tropical fruit plays against old sherry wood.
About This Whisky
This whisky was distilled in 1974 and spent 31 years in sherry casks before bottling at 49.7% ABV. It was released through La Maison du Whisky in Paris. Laphroaig from the 1970s carries noticeably less smoke than the distillery's present-day spirit, and three decades in oak have softened it further. That leaves space for ripe tropical fruit, dried fruit and leather from the sherry wood, with iodine and peat still present underneath.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Mango, passion fruit and grapefruit peel over old sherry, beeswax and a thin thread of peat and iodine.
- Palate: Oily and layered, with tropical fruit, raisin, leather and soft smoke, turning salty and faintly medicinal.
- Finish: Very long, with dried fruit, sea salt, polished oak and slowly fading embers.
Serving & Food
Pour a small measure into a narrow, stemmed nosing glass and leave it for a good quarter of an hour before the first sip. Add water only a drop at a time, if at all. Keep food simple and quiet: a few Medjool dates, shavings of aged Comté, or dark chocolate with sea salt.
How to Enjoy
A bottle for a milestone evening or a serious old-Islay tasting, shared among people who will take their time over it.
Product Details
Distillery: Laphroaig
Vintage: 1974
Age: 31 years
Cask: Sherry cask
ABV: 49.7%
Volume: 700mL
Origin: Scotland
Region: Islay
About the Distillery
The Laphroaig that made this whisky had been shaped by Bessie Williamson. She came to Islay from Glasgow in 1934 for what was meant to be a three-month job as a shorthand typist, and stayed for most of her working life. When Ian Hunter's health failed she was trusted to run the distillery from 1944, and she became its owner after his death in 1954. The distillery describes her as the first woman to own and run a Scotch whisky distillery in the twentieth century. She tied Laphroaig closely to island life, joining the yearly peat cut and opening distillery buildings for ceilidhs, and she looked to a larger international group to secure its future. Her years as owner, as the distillery counts them, ran to 1967, so this 1974 spirit was made in the period that followed.