Laphroaig Returns Coveted Single Malt Scotch To US For First Time In Over A Decade

(Photo: Suntory Global Spirits)

One of Scotland’s smokiest, saltiest and hardest-to-pronounce whisky brands (those in the know say “luh-froyg”) is bringing an old favorite back to the United States.

On Wednesday, Laphroaig announced that it’s reintroducing its 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch as a permanent offering. The bottle has hopped on and off the market since its introduction in 1985, having been phased out in the late 200os, brought back as a limited-edition in 2015 and forever after consigned to resellers. Now, it’ll fit neatly between the brand’s flagship 10-year-old and its higher-end 18-year-old on liquor store shelves.

The whisky is aged in American ex-bourbon casks and is bottled at 46% ABV, three notches higher than the brand’s usual. The team has provided exhaustive tasting notes that we’ll try our best to whittle down to the basics. Expect aromas of sun-ripened orange and grapefruit, barbecue smoke and vanilla, followed by flavors of sea salt, cracked black pepper, ground coriander and oily smoked mackerel that lead into a sweet and savory finish.

Laphroaig 15-Year-Old is now available nationwide in the US at a suggested retail price of $89.99. For reference, the whisky’s older sibling — Laphroaig 18-Year — costs an average of $457 in the Americas, per Wine-Searcher.

“We’re incredibly excited the time has come for the legendary Laphroaig 15-Year-Old to remerge as a permanent offering,” Sarah Dowling, senior Scotch and Irish whisky blender at Suntory Global Spirits, remarked in a news release. “On the nose, the whisky opens with vibrant citrus aromas, the palate brings a bold wave of sea salt and smoke and a fruity sweetness towards the finish. It’s not a surprise that people fell in love with this expression and are excited to see its return.”

The brand is commemorating the return in partnership with Women Who Whiskey, a global club that’s challenged the traditionally male-dominated spirits status quo since its founding in 2011. The organization now counts over 20,000 members across two dozen chapters and will be hosting a series of private tasting events across the US celebrating Laphroaig’s latest.

“Fifteen years ago, Women Who Whiskey was born from the idea that enjoying whiskey is more fun when everyone has a seat at the table,” WWW founder Julia Ritz Toffoli added. “It’s incredibly special to celebrate our 15-year anniversary alongside the return of the Laphroaig 15-Year-Old, a whisky that represents the dynamic relationship between tradition and innovation.”

We were quite fond of the brand’s recent collaboration with actor Willem Dafoe, whose taste in whisky seems to be just as eccentric as his on-screen personas. The brawny, 53.7%-ABV dram balanced big swings of smoked meat and chipotle pepper flavor with subtler Oloroso sherry influences. That whisky was bottled at 14 years, and will make for an interesting comparison alongside its newly permanent 15-year-old counterpart.