Laphroaig Quarter Casks revives the lost art of using smaller, ageing barrels to create more intense maturation through greater contact with the oak. As part of a double maturation process, this creates a soft sweetness to perfectly complement Laphroaig’s signature peatiness.
Please note that any cloudiness when mixed with water is normal for a whisky that hasn’t been chill-filtered, but instead barrier filtered only – the method used when quarter cask was king.
History
In the 19th century, Scotch whisky was frequently transported across the Glens in quarter casks, which fitted on a packhorse. When progress sounded their death knell, it also banished the greater intensity of maturation created by the smaller container – which offers up to 30% more contact between the oak and the liquid.
Laphroaig today breathes new life into the tradition. Still-maturing whisky from their standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks and left to rest in their warehouse just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic shore. This increased oak contact creates a soft and velvety edge to complement Laphroaig’s distinctive peatiness. The finish is long and alternates between this sweetness and smoke.
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