Laphroaig Distillery, Islay

Laphroaig (Gaelic for the beautiful hollow by the broad bay) boasts, as its name demands, an idyllic setting for a Distillery, with its own sea loch and peninsula in the south-east of Islay. The distillery was established in 1815 by the brothers Donald and Alec Johnston. Alas one of the founding brothers died in 1847 by drowning in a vat of fermenting wash, and it passed through the family, with much in-fighting along the way. Laphroaig's peat bogs on the Glenmachrie Peat Moss and its water source, the Kilbride Dam, combines in the distilling process to produce a characteristically peaty and full-coloured whisky. Its unique taste saw it prosper in America during Prohibition (1920-1933) where its import was permitted as a 'medicinal spirit'. Many of the original buildings remain, including the traditional malting floors where the malt is regularly turned by hand to maintain an even temperature throughout the 7-day germination period. Without question one of Scotland's most renowned distilleries. About 10% of the production is marketed as single malt, the remaining part being incorporated in blend, amongst others Black Bottle and Islay Mist. After the French group Pernod Ricard took control the previous owners of the distillery, Allied Domecq, in 2005, the Laphroaig distillery was ceased to the American Fortune Brand, owner of amongst others Jack Daniels.