Laphroaig Elements L2.0 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Limited Release

59.6% ABV (119.2 Proof), 700 ml

"Following the sell-out success of Laphroaig Elements 1.0, we’re excited to reveal Elements 2.0. This time around our clever distillery team went beyond the traditional approach to distillation to explore interesting and unusual ways to experiment with how Laphroaig is made. For this second edition, they looked at the impact of disrupting our usual 55-hour fermentation process to uncover different aspects of Laphroaig’s bold character.

“THEY’RE ALL REALLY BIG, INTENSE FLAVOURS, BUT THEY SIT TOGETHER IN HARMONY TO GIVE THE WHISKY ITS GENTLE FEEL.” – BARRY MACAFFER, DISTILLERY MANAGE

Starting life during a frosty January, the experimentation included several longer fermentations ranging up to almost five full days in the tun – a total of 115 hours. The tun was specially aerated to maintain mash conditions, much like practices of the past; a process that helps emphasise the fruitier notes of Laphroaig while maintaining its unmistakable smoky character.

With our standard fermentation around 55 hours in the washback, this spirit pushed the boundaries with up to 115 hours in the fermentation process. By extending the time, a secondary fermentation begins to happen inside the washback. This means more tropical, fruity flavours alongside the smoky signature.

You know we don’t like to follow the crowd, so rather than focus entirely on cask finishes or different styles to bring out, the Elements Series allows us to explore how we can engineer different flavours. With Elements 1.0, the team changed the combinations of semi-cloudy and cloudy wort, the sizes of the mash tuns, and the use of two varieties of barley malted and kilned in early autumn, all to see what impact it would have on flavour. And think it’s fair to say, it was a success.

This non-chill filtered whisky of a bold, pale gold colour captures with rich peat smoke, crisp green apple, and a warmth of ginger on the nose. Big, bold, and intense flavours sit together in harmony giving the whisky a surprisingly gentle feel.

Your first taste of Elements 2.0 will bring those unmistakable flavours together as well as more smoke, gooseberries, with some nuttiness and vanilla. At the end, you get lingering red berries and a powerful, long smoky finish."