So this is Peat....

Scotch isn't a drink for everyone and Laphroaig isn't a drink for every Scotch drinker.

For the longest time I wasn't a Scotch drinker myself. I'm not sure what it was about the drink, but I just didn't feel the call.

Then in the late 90s I had a chance to try a Scotch I had heard about, but had never sampled myself. I made good use of this chance and was quite surprised to taste something unlike any Scotch I had ever tried before. And I've been hooked ever since.

Laphroaig, pronounced "La-froyg," a gealic word meaning "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay," comes from the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland.

The Irish had been distilling on Islay for years and the locals continued the tradition after the Irish had departed, but as small stills on farms were illegal, they were rarely discussed openly.

Around 1815, two brothers, Donald and Alexander Johnston leased 1000 acres from the laird of Islay to raise cattle. They began to distill the surplus barley, which was grown to feed the cattle during the long winter months. With whisky being more profitable than raising cattle, the brothers officially opened the distillery in 1815.

By the 1920, the trick of "sweetening" and softening the flavor of whisky by using Spanish sherry barrels was a common practice. Ian Hunter of Laphroaig scoured the world looking for the perfect oak cask to breath with the whisky, but not add any "alien" flavors. This he found in "first fill only" American bourbon barrels, and they have been used exclusively ever since.

The particular version I tried and have since adopted, was Laphroaig 10 Year Old, an all-malt Scotch Whisky. The malted barley is dried over a peat fire. It is this peat, found only on Islay, which creates not only the distinctive rich peat flavor, but one unique to Laphroaig.

The resulting whisky is sparking gold, with a huge smokey, seaweedy, even perhaps slightly medicinal nose with a hint of sweetness. And then when you taste it, you find it to be incredibly full bodied, with a surprising sweetness adding hints of salt and layers or peatiness to its lingering finish.

How best to drink Laphroaig could cause some considerable debate. The distillery suggests drinking it neat, or perhaps with a little cool water. And I am sure there are some who will add a few cubes of ice. Then roll it around on your tongue to unleash the pungent earthy aroma of the blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley, and the delicate heathery perfume of Islay's streams.

But no matter how those who love Laphroaig choose to drink their favorite Scotch, they will all agree that this is a truely amazing whisky. And while it is not for everyone, for those who enjoy it's distinctive peat flavors, it is the perfect way to relax and enjoy the day, the week, and our lives.

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