Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 57.3%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex Bourbon and ex-Sherry
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Suntory
Average price: € 160.00
Official website: www.laphroaig.com
At the end of 2025, the collaboration between the Japanese-owned Islay distillery, Laphroaig, and American actor Willem Dafoe begun, featuring a marketing campaign focused (of course) on the extreme peatiness of the whisky, but also on the search for one’s personality expressed in the glass.
In April 2026, the campaign culminated in this special bottling dedicated to the actor and allegedly chosen by him, which features a fourteen-year-old whisky initially aged in ex-bourbon casks with nine months of finishing in ex-oloroso sherry casks. Enthusiasts are invited to share their impressions of the whisky “in any form,” which is why the official tasting notes are very scarce.
Lode to Laphroaig for not choosing the usual NAS (No Age Statement) for this special edition, indicating the aging years only on the back label, allowing the name of the performer to stand out on the front. A collaboration, for once, of substance and not just for celebrity.
Tasting Notes
At first approach to the nose, it feels like opening a box of dried aromatic herbs: thyme, mint, rosemary, oregano… with mint and oregano becoming more intense over time. The main body has a strong umami presence, with roast beef, teriyaki sauce, and brined olives, surrounded by softer parts of candied orange, sweet licorice, milk chocolate, blackberries, and cashews. The smoke is delicate, maritime, and only slightly medicinal, a deep note rather than overpowering. Moldy wood lies in the background. Rich and complex, far from the excesses that Laphroaig itself boasts about.
On the palate, the coastal smoke is more evident, yet still in a minor tone, a landscape where evocative elements lay softly, with aromatic herbs always intertwined with spices (black pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, a pinch of saffron). The umami aspect is somewhat lost in favor of sweeter impressions from dried red fruits (goji berries, currants, blackberries, strawberries), Haribo-like licorice, bitter orange marmalade, chocolate, and toasted pine nuts, with a good dose of brine and medicinal notes. Burnt wood lingers throughout. More distinctly modern Laphroaig, but (a bit) less cheesy.
Long finale, among spices, smoke, iodized notes and medicinal, aromatic herbs, citrus fruits, red fruits, and wood.
Review: A pronounced character on the nose, which glides into the already seen on the palate, while remaining within the realm of an intriguing and layered dram. If the contemporary ten-year-old is the starting point, this has the merit of enriching it and making it more interesting, less blatant in its flattery without completely abandoning it.
Vote: 87/100