The second release in our Ian Hunter Story pays tribute to the Icon that Ian Hunter built more than 100 years ago and honours his understanding that no one thing is more important to the creation of Laphroaig than the place it comes from – Islay and the ‘hollow by the bay’ where Laphroaig first came into being. Aged for 30 years in Spanish Oak Oloroso Sherry oaks, this non-chill filtered whisky is underscored with Laphroaig’s signature characteristic peatiness, making this second book a unique peated single malt whisky journey through history.

This series of rare and collectable aged whiskies honours the legacy of one man, Ian Hunter, the last of the Johnston family to own and manage the distillery, between 1908 and 1944. Each release will contain a rare and aged set into a beautifully crafted book that will document a part of Ian’s rich legacy. Every year a new chapter will be told, uncovering the extensive history behind the distillery and the characters who created it, making this a collection unlike any other, and one that is treasured by fans across the world.

Ian Hunter’s firm hand on the helm of the distillery, and innovative approach to the process of whisky-making, resulted in today’s iconic signature flavour: complex, smoky and often polarizing. His care and commitment to can be seen not only in the techniques still used today to create Whisky, but also in the very fabric of the distillery. Having introduced the American oak, ex-Bourbon barrels to the maturation process after his travels to the United States, Ian soon realised the distillery itself would have to grow in order to accommodate not only the amount of barrels he brought back, but the changes he was to make to keep the distillery running as a business.

Official Tasting Notes

Colour – Burnt umber

Nose – Dried dates and figs, cigar box with toffee and dark chocolate, liquorice with medicinal notes, pink peppercorns and all spice. Adding water brings out pipe tobacco and orange peel

Taste – Manuka honey & sweet, smoked stone fruit

Finish – Long and mouth drying