Laphroaig Cairdeas!

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• History of distillery
  • Founded by Donlad and Alexander Johnston in 1815
    • As far as I can tell not related to John Johnston who founded lagavulin
    • Started as cattle farmers growing barley for the cattle
    • Excess barley used to make whisky, which became more profitable than the cattle
  • Near the Kilbride stream, their water source which has a peaty flavor
  • 1836, donald buys out his brother, but passes away in 1847
  • In the 19th century most whiskey was blended, and Laphroaig was used by the mackie family for lagavulin, so much so that they had a hard time keeping up their own production
  • 1907, Mackie tries to block up the kilbride to sabotage them after not being able to take so much for his production
  • 1908, laphroigs head brewer is taken by lagavulin, who made a replica of Laphroaig to try to make his own for lagavulin, this was Malt mill
    • Never really worked
  • 1921 the last of the johnston family to take ownership, Ian Hunter, take over
    • A bit of a maverick
  • 1923 the distillery doubled in size
    • Ian also added windows to the malting floor, were he would put fans to bring in the sea air, adding a salty, sea like quality to the malt
  • 1935 Bessie Williamson comes to the distillery for the summer to work, she never leaves
    • Becomes the protege for Ian
    • Ian passes in 1954 and she takes over
  • Around this time they start aging in ex-Bourbon barrels
  • 1954-67 the distillery is sold off to Seager Evens and Co. to help the distillery expand out 
  • 1994
    • Then Prince Charles gave the distillery his Royal Warrant
    • They are the only Scottish Distillery to get this
  • Friends of laphroaig was started as well in 1994
    • Becoming a member bought you a square foot of land on Islay, and as rent for the property, you were rewarded a dram a year
  • 2006, john Campbell takes over as distillery manager
  • 2022 Barry MacAffer becomes distillery manager, with the blessing of John Campbell
• The bottle
  • In 2004, a special release was sent out just to those that were part of Friends of laphroaig, called Cairdeas, a gaelic word meaning friendship
  • 2008 this became a yearly bottling

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