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So here we are at the beautiful hollow by the broad bay. It's Laphroaig's Open Day.
We've got people coming from all over the world to visit the Laphroaig distillery and
we've got some special tours for the day.
Myself along with John Campbell, the distillery manager, we're going to take people up to
the source - the water source - for Laphroaig, the Kilbride Dam.
We'll talk a little bit about the history of the island of Islay from 60 millions years
ago upwards, the history of the families who ran the distilleries here and then from there
we're going over to the peat bogs to cut some peat and give them a taste of the land itself
that you find right in the heart of Laphroaig Single Malts.
Then from there we'll head back over to the maltings and we'll get them to toss a little
bit of barley make them earn their dram and give them, the rest of the day to enjoy this
beautiful location here on the island of Islay at the Laphroaig distillery.
It's a little hard to see but straight off here you're going to have Ballycastle, Ireland
and on a clear day if you get around the egde there you'll be able to see Donegal and the
western part of Ireland. The Mull of Kintyre 15 miles away, not very far as the crow flies.
Of course sea travel is a little bit harder than that.
When the boys were making it up on the hills up here this is what they were drinking this
is what was coming off the stills this is what it was. So this is at 63%, this is brand
new, new-make Laphroaig this is it right from the still and then we'll taste something after
that.
I've got some local water for you to taste if you'd like to add to the whisky as well
so if you'd like to have a taste of that. On a day like today this is what you need.
The aged whisky when you're back inside but out here in the wind...
You're certainly getting the influence of the barrel. Today's tour will start water,
heat, barley - what else do you really need? Well you do need a couple of things, you need
good copper obviously and you need good wood so I think this is a great example of the
new-make spirit and now you're getting the influence of the wood. It's a big factor but
the 15 Year Old is a lovely, lovely spirit, bottled at 43%.
Alright, we're going to move back to the distillery now to show you a bit of the malting. So we've
gone from the water to the peat, now back to the barley.
Here we are on the malting floor, we've got two floors of that. The barley is spread out
and as you can see we've got it labelled day five, this is three here, this is six here,
this will actually be going in.
As we go through the floors have a taste of each of these barleys. I think it's very interesting
to see the difference of this barley from day to day.
Some folks talk about banana notes in Laphroaig. I don't get it on day five, day six. Day three,
you taste the barley on day three and you get a very unripe banana. It's there, that
flavour is in the barley. That's where some of those notes are coming from.
We've started to build it up now. I'm not sure how long in the process this is, I think
this probably went in this morning. So 15 hours, we're going to be drying the barley
upstairs over the peat fires. So if you wanted to give it a go, you're more than welcome
to. And just know that you're on the webcam there, so Friends of Laphroaig all over the
world are watching you.
It's good, hard work. Neil, the older gentleman who's going to retire in October, 33 years
he's been working here and he loves it. He's a farmer by trade and when the job became
available he came in to apply for the job, he came in in winter and he loved it because
he came indoors. He said if he tried during the summer he would have hated bit because
he loves being outdoors. But this is a good job and actually the best job at the distillery
is the stillman because you get by the stills that nice heat all year round, it's the best
position to stay warm.
So this is the Highgrove, the 12 Year Highgrove. We'll have a toast to the rest of the folks
here and to the rest of the world from the Laphroaig distillery. Wish you were here and
Slainte Mhath! Cheers. Do you know why you clink glasses? If you or I were enemies and
you poured me a glass I would slosh some of mine into your glass to make sure you weren't
poisoning me. So we're all friends now. Cheers. Slainte. This is at 40%, the Highrove, only
available through the Prince's shop, a lovely, lovely whiskey. And to all friends of Laphroaig.
Thank you for joining me on the tour today. It's been a pleasure. I'll send you off with
a wee song for the rest of the day:
Sleep, sleep tonight and may your dreams be realised. If the thunder cloud passes rain,
well let it rain, let it rain. Rain on me.
Cheers, thanks for coming today.