Laphroaig Barry Macaffer 20 July 2023 Online Tasting Square Graphic.png
Laphroaig Barry Macaffer 20 July 2023 Online Tasting Square Graphic.png

Jul. 20: Online Tasting with Laphroaig Distillery Manager Barry MacAffer...

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Fellow Drammers!

We’re delighted to announce a special online tasting and discussion with Laphroaig’s Distillery Manager Barry MacAffer on July 20th, starting at Noon Pacific / 3pm EST / 8pm in Scotland (please note that it is during the day on a Thursday for those of you in the US).

We'll be opening an 18yo distillery only single cask that was released at the distillery during Feis Ile, plus 4 recent single casks released around the country, and a couple travel retail bottlings.  More specifically:

  • James McGregor Retirement Single Cask. This was a surprise release at the Laphroaig Open Day during Feis Ile last month. This single cask (#73) was selected by James McGregor to celebrate his retirement from the distillery after 47 years. It was distilled in 2005, bottled on the 28th of May this year. It spent 8 years in a first fill bourbon cask and then was transferred to an Amontillado cask for the following 10 years. 339 bottles were released (we’re drinking bottle #111). There were just 339 bottles produced at a strength of 54.5% abv.

Laphroaig recently launched their single cask program in the USA, and we’ve been going around picking up these single cask releases from some of the most prominent stores around the country to try at this tasting…

  • Single Cask - Selected by Jack Rose Saloon in DC. 2014 Virgin French Oak, medium toast, 1 of 281 bottles, cask #6062, 58.4% abv.

  • Single Cask - Selected by Warehouse Liquors in Chicago. 2014 Pedro Ximenez Hogshead. 1 of 328 bottles, cask #807517 60.7% abv.

  • Single Cask - Selected by Mission Wine & Spirits in LA. 2013 1st fill Bourbon Barrel, Warehouse 1, Cask #0896, 54.1% abv.1 of 254 bottles.

  • Single Cask - Selected by Julio’s Liquors in Massachussetts. 2014 Pedro Ximenez Hogshead, cask #807522. 60.4% abv. 1 of 326 bottles. Labeled as “Loch and K(e)y: PX I Love You Too”.

Finally we’ll try a couple of recent travel retail-only bottles:

  • The 1815 Legacy Edition. The name (1815) refers to when the distillery was founded. This duty free only release came out in 2017, and was created by the former Distillery Manager John Campbell in honour of past Laphroaig distillers. This expression is reported to feature whisky aged in first-fill bourbon barrels and new European oak hogsheads. 48% abv.

  • Four Oak. Another travel retail exclusive, this was released (as the name implies) in four different cask types: ex bourbon barrels, quarter casks, virgin American oak barrels and European oak hogsheads. This was bottled at a milder 40% abv, so we’ll likely warm up with this release.

That’s our lineup! We hope you can join us. Again, please note the start time — during the day on a Thursday. But certainly a rare opportunity to pick the brain of Laphroaig’s Distillery Manager, who we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the last couple years at their annual Feis Ile festivities on Islay.

  • Cost: $100/person for Drammers Members, $135/person for Observers.