Feis Ile – Laphroaig Day

Laphroaig Distillery Open Day ~ just another day in paradise~ lots of interesting people and a great Festival bottling and that much sunshine we are getting fed up with it now (only joking; we LOVE it!).

Columns and columns of people wearing wellies streamed past the Whisky for Girls stand. They followed manager John Campbell as though he were the pied piper of Laphroaig!

There were walks in wellies and bottle hunts in the barley in bare feet. There was a handsome barman and a dresser full of drink and we spotted a handy cupboard to look out for when visiting the peat shed.

Pauline and her tiny daughter with glamorous glasses, queued for the Cairdeas Origin 51.2%, the Laphroaig Festival bottle.

And we saw the best number plate for a Friends of Laphroaig member…

Whisky for Girls met a group of friends with their own private supply of drams in the back of their van. Tony and Loes from Amsterdam and Robert and Shona from Glasgow have known each other “too long!” after having met at the festival years ago. Tony said I could have a dram from his cask as long as I didn’t tell anyone…….as it wasn’t from Laphroaig and he didn’t want John Campbell putting him out………! I said of course I wouldn’t (and I haven’t told a soul, I have only written about it in my online festival diary!)

They buy all the festival bottlings, and Tony likes the Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Loes drinks whisky from Laphroaig when she is in Islay ~ but not when she is in Holland. Robert is a member of Glasgow’s Whisky Club ~ ‘a dram, not a drama’ and Shona doesn’t get a dram at all, being the designated driver.


The festival bottling tastes pale golden, thin, briney, sweet, peaty, with honey and power then oak and is yummy!

It could hardly have been a better day. Thanks to all at Laphroaig.