Laphroaig Distillery

Laphroaig (pronounced "La-froyg") is the most distinctive of all Scotch whiskies, with a flavour that divides opinion but inspires fierce loyalty. The distillery sits on the southern shore of Islay, just east of Port Ellen, and produces a whisky unlike anything else on earth: intensely peated, medicinal, briny, and complex. The Friends of Laphroaig programme gives members a square foot of Islay peat bog and has over 700,000 members worldwide. When you visit and claim your plot, you receive a dram of Laphroaig as rent. It is one of the most memorable distillery experiences in Scotland. Laphroaig Cairdeas (pronounced "Car-jus", meaning "friendship" in Scottish Gaelic) is the annual limited release produced exclusively for Friends of Laphroaig. Each year brings a different cask finish and a different expression of the distillery's character. The bottle in the photo above was picked up on a visit to the distillery itself. If you are a Friend of Laphroaig, the Cairdeas release is the one to watch for each year.