Beam Suntory Expands Laphroaig Portfolio with the Rollout of Laphroaig Select

Global booze giant Beam Suntory announced this week it’s expanding its lineup of single malt Scotches under the banner of Laphroaig. Inspiration for this latest expression of the benchmark Islay style whisky, dubbed Laphroaig Select, comes from both American bourbon traditions and the history and family lineage behind the Laphroaig brand.

The last family member to own Laphroaig, Ian Hunter, was highly influential in the development and advancement of distilling, aging and blending Scotch. He is credited as the first to experiment with American bourbon barrels and traditional casks culled from Europe to create new, previously unknown flavors.

That innovative spirit was the motivation for Laphroaig Select. Master Distiller John Campbell personally handpicked the very best casks representing the favorite styles from the Laphroaig lineup — Quarter Cask, PX Cask, Triple Wood and Ten-Year Old Casks — to get a complex blend of peat, oak and malt sweetness. It was then laid down for final maturation in virgin American Oak barrels, which are rarely used in Scotch production, and aged throughout the Scottish summer months in the highest, warmest reaches of the distiller’s warehouses.

The resulting liquid is described as having a unique blend of Laphroaig’s trademark “peat reek,” nutty sweetness and the “heathery perfume of Islay’s streams.”

Laphroaig Select is available at fine liquor stores at a suggested retail price of $55.00 per 750ml bottle.