Laphroaig Elements 1.0

Their incredible distillery team had free rein to experiment and push the boundaries with the new Elements series. They’ve amped up the flavour of Elements 1.0 with a few main factors. They usually use two 5.5 tonne mashes to make Laphroaig, but for Elements, the team also added an 8.5 tonne mash. This size was used pre-1990s, so this combination of 8.5 and 11 tonne mash is a mix of styles from today and from the past.

From the mashes, they always pull semi-cloudy wort, which gives their liquid a fruity flavour that doesn’t compromise on peaty punch. This time, they also pulled out the cloudy wort to really add more peat and phenolics to the tropical fruit notes.

This whisky’s 55-hour fermentation was personally overseen by Distillery Manager Barry MacAffer, and in his own words is an exciting, diverse and experimental Laphroaig. We’ve explored different cask finishing and maturation styles with their whisky before, but this series is about what else they can change at the distillery itself to find new flavours.

The fun doesn’t just stop with the spirit in Elements 1.0 - they’ve also given its packaging a unique design inspired by sketches showing designs for their distillery expansion in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Tasting notes:
Colour: Bold auburn colour.

Nose: Salty and smoky bacon, woody bonfire embers overlay hints of sweet strawberry jam and charred pineapple.

Palate: Spicy and peppery flavour on the tongue with hints of tropical fruit followed by wintery cloves and liquorice.

Finish: A warming and smoky mouthfeel with a drying, long peaty finish.

Maturation: Matured in ex-bourbon casks