LAPHROAIG UNVEILSDIAMOND JUBILLEE COMMEMORATIVE EDITION

17May 2012

To celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 60th year on the throne, Islay single malt whisky Laphroaig, is launching a special Diamond Jubilee commemorative edition. Bearing Prince Charles’ Royal Warrant, the 3,000 Jubilee cartons and bottles are set to become collector’s items. Laphroaig has also pledged to make a donation of £3000to The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).

Each limited edition carton will display that it is only one of three thousand in existence and will contain the Double Gold Medal *winning Laphroaig 18 Year Old single malt (48% abv). Bright gold in colour, the Laphroaig 18 Year Old offers a toffee sweet flavour, accompanied by its trademark peat smoke taste.

Laphroaig’s Diamond Jubilee bottling is especially fitting given their Royal Warrant, appointed personally by HRH Prince Charles when he visited the distillery in 1994. He also returned again in 2008 as part of his own 60th birthday celebrations.

Distillery manager John Campbell said; “With Laphroaig’s royal connection to HRH Prince Charles, and as our most famous patron, we thought it only right to create a special pack to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne. As proud bearers of a royal warrant Laphroaig is delighted that our 18 Year Old has become part of the diamond jubilee celebrations in its beautifully designed, premium Jubilee packaging.”

Reinforcing its special royal connections, Laphroaig is donating £3,000 to QEST. The charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, the funds will go towards awarding craftsmen throughout Britain to help them further their careers, celebrating the excellence of British Craftsmanship as symbolised by the Royal Warrant of Appointment.

The 3,000 bottles are available to buy in the UK only from June in selected whisky specialists and retailers (RRP £77).

Issued by The BIG Partnership on behalf of Laphroaig

For further information please contact: Sarah McDonald or Sarah Bailey at The BIG Partnership on 0131 555 5522 or email: or

Please enjoy our brand responsibly.

Laphroaig 18 Year Old Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold

Nose:At bottling strength, a soft toffee sweet, faintly spicy flavour counterbalances the trace of delicate phenols and fruit. There is an all-encompassing smoothness when these are all brought together. Adding a touch of water allows the seaweed and salt to come through but not enough to overpower the vanilla and honey sweetness with just a trace of new mown hay and peat at the finish.

Body:An intense depth that is exceptionally balanced and warming.

Taste:An instant warming tang of smoke that fades into smooth floral scents and blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and leaves a lasting sweetness on the taste. With a touch of water the peaty warmth fills the mouth but does not overshadow the sweet chocolate smoothness. This is balanced by the rich toffee taste and slowly fades into a delicate hint of heather and peat smoke.

Finish:Full bodied, long with a luxurious oily smoothness.

*2011 SF World Spirits Competition

Notes to Editors:

  • Laphroaig is the No.1 selling Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky globally and in the UK.
  • Laphroaig has won an incredible array of awards at the biggest spirit competitions in the world – most recently taking double Gold medals for 10 Year Old, Cask Strength, 18 Year Old and Gold medal for Quarter Cask at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2011.
  • Unmistakably peat-smoke flavours are delivered by burning local Islay peat, containing unique traces of seaweed and heather.
  • One of only a few distilleries that still uses traditional malting floors and dries and infuses its own malt with the thick blue smoke from old peat-fired kilns.
  • Laphroaig has a strong presence online through the Friends of Laphroaig, recently breaking through the 500,000 FOL barrier and the brand is frequently the subject of blogs. It has recently topped the first ever Whisky 100 Brand Index ( which is an online survey designed to track positive words associated with whisky brands.
  • Laphroaig has an outstanding range from the classic 10 YearOld through to the lovingly created 25 Year Old – Full range, 10 Year Old,Quarter Cask, Triple Wood, 18 Year Old and 25 Year Old.

LAPHROAIG® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky. D Johnston and Co, Isle of Islay.