When distillers Laphroaig launched their first ever live online whisky tasting, an army of malt fans from around the world made it the largest interactive event of its kind.

From New Zealand to Sweden, New York to Sydney, thousands of you watched the live WebTV show in London and mailed in hundreds of questions to the eminent panel of distillers, connoisseurs and writers.

Now you have the chance to join in an even bigger event live from the Laphroaig distillery on the Scottish island of Islay. The distillery sits on the South coast of the island with views of both Scotland and Ireland and the show will be broadcast from inside the distillery’s original bonded warehouse number one – normally only accessible to distillery staff and customs officers.

So if you love whisky but are keen to know more about those wonderful single malts and how they are blended to taste so good we have a treat for you this evening. Master blender Robert Hicks and Distillery Manager John Campbell will host an exclusive tasting session, which includes four Laphroaig malts, the highlight being a new Quarter Cask triple wood, drawn and tasted live from a sherry cask.

They will be joined by writer Martine Nouet, Keeper of the Quaich, and if you want to know what that means you will need to join the live show to find out.

Our guests will take you through all the finer points of getting the best out of a single malt whisky, from the colour, weight and nose to the all important taste and finish. How much water, if any, should you add to your glass? What do the aromas tell you about the whisky? Which flavours and textures should you be expecting as the whisky hits your palate?

Robert Hicks, Laphroaig’s Master Blender, John Campbell, Distillery Manager, and whisky writer Martine Nouet join us live online on Wednesday 18th June at 8pm for a live whisky tasting.

H: Host
R: Robert Hicks, Laphroaig's Master Blender,
J: John Campbell, Distillery Manager,
M: Martine Nouet, whisky writer
F: Friends of Laphroaig
V: Vicki, staff
P: Peter, staff
S: Staff

H: Hello and welcome to this very very special whisky interactive tasting which is coming live from Laphroaig's distillery here in the Isle of Islay. On the south coast of that Island, it's beautiful here – you've got, well Scotland in a boat ride in one direction and Ireland a boat ride in the other. You've got the best seats in the house tonight, so stay with us. Now if you were one of the army of malt whisky fans who joined us from around the world when we did our whisky tasting back in November in London, thank you for doing so. You made it the largest single interactive event of its kind, bar none, from New York to New Zealand, from Singapore to Sydney, you joined us all round the world and tonight we're going to make it bigger and better. 

Well we're now inside that very warehouse that I was just talking about, and it's such an extraordinary and rare place to be standing. Why? Well because basically no one's allowed in here. This is rarefied territory, unless of course you happen to be the Duke of Rothsay for instance who was standing just here only two weeks ago when he popped in to have a look around. His other title of course is His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. That's why he was let in, but for others, nah, they're not allowed in here. Friends of Laphroaig, even them, they can't get in here, but we're in here and we're in here for one reason and one reason only – because there are casks, butts and barrels full of malt whisky, slowly maturing away. However before we get to taste all of that, let's have a look at this beautiful Island and its distillery. 

Video footage

H: So as I told you what an extraordinary and magical place it really is. Very shortly we're going to be tasting some of the whiskies I've got down here in front of me, but before we do all of that, some people were just in the right place at the right time in the right Island – they are friends of Laphroaig, they don't normally get in here but they're in here now.  Hello guys, how are you? You alright?

G: Hi

H: Right place, right time – nice smile from you guys, you're going to be tasting all 5 of our special expressions in just a little while. I'll explain expressions to you unless you're not familiar with those in a few moments. We've also got the friends, not only the friends, we've got the staff as well – hard working that they are, the people that produce some of this fine whisky as well, guys – chance for you to sit down and sample – not that you haven't done before, some of the fine whiskies as well. Welcome along, hope you enjoy the night as much as we do as well. We also have a panel and our panel of tasters here.  Well they should know a thing or two about whisky, they're probably the most experienced panel you're ever going to get in whisky tasting. We have our man who's our master blender, Robert Hicks, Robert nice to have you with us here, nice to have you along

R: Excuse me that's me

H: Oh he's down there!  Don't you start. You're all moving around are you? You're swapping seats as well, good to have you with us, thank you very much indeed. And also we've got down here, we've got John Campbell as well – John are you alright, distillery manager, smiling, looking forward to tasting some?

J: Yes we've got some good expressions here tonight

H: Some great expressions down here tonight and again I'll explain those expressions in a moment, and we've also got down here as well, Martine Nouet, whisky writer extraordinaire and also the keeper of the Quaich, now can you – we'll explain the Quaich and we've got to do this very, very quickly – that's the silver dish in front, what does it mean?

M: Well being the Keeper of the Quaich is a great honour because it's made me – it's a recognition of the small contribution I've brought to the industry, I think there are plenty of people who maybe deserve it more than me, the people who work at the distilleries, but I'm very honoured and I'm very, very pleased to be a Keeper of a Quaich

H: Actually Robert's shaking his head, and so am I as well! No no, you well deserve this

R: You do, yes

H: The honour of this.  You're known as the Queen of the Stills, so I'm told?

M: The nickname that I've been given in France because I just love all spirits and I love writing on them

H: Ok well we're going to taste some of these whiskies in just a few moments. As we were explaining there, when it comes to talking about expressions, that's talking about the age and the styles of whisky, we have 5 to taste, we better get on with the first of those – let's just talk about this first one, it's the ten year old, and now the ten year old, this is the benchmark by which everything else is judged by really isn't it?

J: Yes this is a kind of, the benchmark for all Laphroaig's, this is the recipe if you like, or this was the main recipe from the 1930s onwards and it hasn't changed to this day, we still put it into the same barrels, ten year old in the green bottle, so this is the kind of standard –

H: That's the standard, that's the one that's measured by. By all means guys, do have a tasting and also for our friends as well and our staff, do have your tasting of that one. I don't seem to have a glass in front of me at the moment but I'll catch up with you a little bit later on – probably a wise decision I'd say. What should we be looking for here?

J: Well the ten year old Laphroaig, see this is the one that most people will know. What you should find initially neat, really medicinal, kind of peaty, it then becomes kind of meaty to me and then there's a sweetie in Scotland again that I'll always had and it's Oddfellows, and I get Oddfellows at the end of this one. So it's just the kind of - that's the kind of influence with the cask

H: Right, so we have that tasting note from you there. So that's your idea on all that as well – Martine?

M: I have a measure for all of the whiskies I taste I have a sort of photo mind in my mind and for me with a ten year old, I'm on a pebble beach and the tide is going out and the pebbles are wet and there are some seaweeds here, and I can smell this briny iodinic air, but also as if there was a tarry rope of boats left here and this sort of, touch of mineral which is interesting, in the ten year old is that on the nose, for me, I get all these notes, then the bacon, crisp bacon, and when I taste it, it's just the opposite, I have the bacon first, and then after that I have, I'm going out by the sea, and I'm lucky enough to experience that almost every day now as I'm a resident in Islay, so I'm really privileged

H: Great place to be living and a great description as well if I may say so – that was a story! You took me for a walk there for a while, I was gone, with you! On the end sir, what do you think?

R: Well those of you who were here last year know I always put water in mine when I know I'm going to taste it, and like Martine said, it's funny, we've never talked about Laphroaig before, and Martine talks about a pebble beach – I always talk about a sandy beach, in the summer as the tide's going out and you get the smell of that ozone and seaweed, and we both think along the same lines. Martine picks up a little bit more of the flintiness in it, and I pick up a little bit more of the medicinal style, but on the taste it's absolutely superb

H: Gives you a great picture, and we'll come to some of our friends in just a few moments to find out how they feel about that – incidentally, questions, if you have a question for us, and there's people joining us all around the world right now, right across the world, just like last time, so if you're joining us wherever you happen to be, do let us know where you are, let us know what you're tasting, if you're tasting something at the same time, you've got the bottle of Laphroaig out there and you're pouring it down the glasses and trying to get the same flavours that the guys here are getting – now's the chance to get in touch with us. There's a little box at the bottom, just put your name in there, put your question in there, your comment in there, send it to us, it will come on the screen right in front of me here. That's how it's all working tonight, so please do stay in touch with us. Question in from Mark Woodward, thank you Mark for your question – "I'd like to know the basics of tasting, the importance of the nose, palette, colour – could you describe the process of tasting?" Now we could be here all night on this, try and keep this one as quick as you can.  So, when it comes to tasting, what should the guys who aren't professional tasters be looking for?

M: Well personally I have a – my trick, maybe because I'm French or blonde or whatever, but I always put some of the whisky on my hand to have first the malt, the heart of the whisky, and it's just to give an additional pleasure, but I think it's just have your senses ready to touch whatever you will touch and don't try to find what we find, it's just your note, very quickly, I don't know if you would say that Robert but not too long because if you – the more you stay, then you will lose the aromas, and in the palette just a little, little little sip, and your saliva will reduce the strength and so that you won't, there's no risk of harming or burning your tongue, and then just let your imagination, your senses talk and if you listen to your senses they will tell you a lot

H: Do you want to add to that?

J: Just a few brief things in the fact that you can tell a lot about what you're going to taste actually before you even drink it, and that's kind of the secret to nosing, it's even just swirling it round the glass you see the oils from the cask, so that will give you an idea the body, the mouth feel you're going to have. The colour of the spirit will tell you a lot about what cask it's been matured in, the profile you can expect, so there's quite a lot and when you nose you do get the flavours, so the tasting should just confirm what your senses have told you

H: There's an awful lot you can get from all of that. There's a question I'm going to throw to Robert at the end there because I know this is the one that people will ask more than anything else – water? Not water? Ice, not ice? There's a massive debate, there's a big split about this but break this one down very quickly – you've got jugs of water there, and you take water with yours don't you?

R: Yes it's personal preference. Laphroaig 10 is 40%, I can drink it as it is, but when I want to find out flavours I always put a drop of water with it. If you're drinking something like cask strength which is 55.7 – if you taste that as it is, the first thing you'll get is alcohol and that alcohol will actually deaden your taste buds and your smell, so you really need to put water with it

H: Ok

R: Smell it first, the way it's in the glass, then add some water and I have a trick, Martine talks about saliva, I have a trick that I had to learn many, many years ago. You take your glass of water in one hand and your whisky in another. Take a sip of water, hold it behind your teeth and then sip the whisky into the water, so you're actually drinking water with whisky. Now you'll get all the flavour but you won't get any alcohol and you'll actually take up more flavours that way

H: Does someone want to try that? I'd like to see that! Hold some water in your mouth, sip through, see if it works, it will be well worth – thanks for answering that guys because it was a really good question and I'm pleased we've got some more questions coming in here. This one may make you smile – "hi, I'm from Holland and I know that none of the British teams are playing in the European championships – " – thanks for letting us know that one because we weren't sure about that! "But is holding a Laphroaig live tasting during the match some kind of revenge for all the countries who are still in it?" Yes thanks for that – goes on –

R: Yes

H: Yes absolutely!  Goes on to say – "as you might understand" – because he's watching the football – "I'm not able to watch a live tasting but wish you good luck. Also I'll watch the re-run on Laphroaig TV" – thank you for mentioning that as well – "and I'd like to know the story behind the triple wood and the Cáirdeas 30 so we're coming to all of that in just a little while aren't we? So that's jumping ahead of the game there but thank you very much for the question, and that's Euald who's just joined us there so thank you, at least asking the question although you're busy watching football. Alright that's the kind of questions that we're getting in at the moment, we've discussed the ten year, I'm going to move on from that straight away to the Quarter Cask, and now these are – am I right in saying these are Quarter Casks behind us?

J: Yes, these are Quarter Casks here

H: Alright, good chance for us to discuss casks, quarter casks, barrels, butts they're all different aren't they, so just take us through the

J: Well quarter casks behind us and the one in front of us here that's a butt

H: So that's a quarter of –

J: That's where it comes from, yes, initially in kind of the late 1800s, quarter casks behind us would have been made out of European oak, but these are made out of American oak which again gives a slightly different flavour profile, and then the – you've got American Bourbon barrels which we're sitting our expressions on

H: Right, ok so barrels, quarter casks, butts

J: Butts – butts, 500 litres, casks 125, and American barrels probably 190-200

H: Ok that gives us some idea. Let's move on to this quarter cask then because this is a very, very popular whisky for you guys isn't it?

J: Yes, hugely popular, it's 4 year old now and it's become a brand in its own right almost, yes

H: I can see you smiling at that one –

R: Well I was going to say it's not actually 4 years old, it's 4 years on sale!

H: That's a very good point

J: It took us about 4 years to get it

R: It did. Martine's got a –

H: Martine?

M: It was one of your first experiment really and the quarter cask, I remember came in two years ago and seeing them in progress. First feel Bourbon task at the beginning, from when you picked from 6-11 years old, and then put them into these smaller casks, quarter casks because that gives more wood influence, about maybe 60 greater influences in the wood, and that's changed really the profile. But still in the heart of a Laphroaig is here, that's what is really wonderful when we go from the 10 to the 30 year old, Laphroaig is always here, the distinctive character is here, and I think the quarter cask brings in a lot of creamy texture and creamy flavours and aromas as well, and first of all, first note you get the wood as if you were opening a box, lifting the lid of a wooden box, open that and you discover a sort of treasure of different layers of aromas which come. I get – I get this exotic cedar wood, cedar wood yes and a touch of citrus and sort of orange curd which I didn't get in the first one, in the ten year old, but the sootiness, the smokiness will come after, so as if it was a bit shy to start with, let the other play and then it comes and it wraps all these beautiful creamy flavours and aromas into the smoke which, I mean we are on the land of smoke, peat here and we can feel it, and we also – sorry on the land of midges which I'm being bited,

H: They're everywhere

M: So I'm sorry about  - I have to scratch

H: I like the idea that you've been bited! Ok, sorry

M: And the finish, the great finish, lingering finish, that's also what the quarter cask brings to Laphroaig and so it was started in 2003 and you – the first were sold as you said four years ago and I think everybody talks about the quarter cask, I mean all the people I've met in masterclasses say oh well the quarter cask was something

R: I mean the quarter cask is odd in a way, when you smell it as Martine says you get all these velvety, orange, coconut cream flavours – it seems very soft, very gentle, but when you taste it you actually get far more power than you do in the ten year old, and when you taste it that power and that intensity flavour comes through.  The friends of Laphroaig are nodding here!

H: We're coming to you in a minute guys! Get your answers ready

R: It's like I always say it's a wolf in sheep's clothing – the sheep is the smell and the wolf is that taste –

H: Bang it comes in

R: Yes it bangs in

H: It comes in there.  John?

J: Yes same things. I kind of get similar things, toffee caramel nose, kind of – I get a – there's a cream soda bit in it for me and it comes dry, and that comes through in the taste as well, finishes very dry and you do get the kind of the oil in it, the extra body from the two sets of casks as well

H: Great summary of all of that. Let's find out what the Friends think over there – yes I'm coming over to you guys over there so let's start a bit – you've been tasting some of these, you've not had a sniff on these yet have you, empty glasses for you?

F: I haven't, I'm looking forward to giving it a go

H: Sir, I know you were nose deep in that one there – how do you feel about it?

F: Very fine whisky, yes

H: Where are you from by the way?

F: Holland

H: Oh you're from Holland – someone else from Holland. Congratulations on the football team huh?

F: You're right

H: Ok we'll leave them behind now, let's talk about this – you like that one? Which of the first two? The first or the second?

F: The first I prefer

H: The first is for you – ok. Sir, what about you?

F: Well I think the quarter cask, I like – I prefer – we had a tour here yesterday at Laphroaigs, beautiful tour, David Adams, perfect guy, and he made us taste this whisky, this quarter cask and I like it very much

H: Ok good – enjoy, carry on enjoying. Anyone drinking with water here? You've got water in yours madam?

F: I do, lovely – we actually bought a bottle recently. Fantastic

H: So this is like an old friend to you now

F: Absolutely

H: You're very happy and smiling on the end there sir?

F: Yes one of my favourite whiskies actually

H: You're in the right place at the right time aren't you? You carry on enjoying all of that, we've got some more whiskies to come here, we've got some more questions and we'll talk to our good friends the staff here in just a few moments as well, because they're having a little bit of a night off. Got a question here from Harry Hendl, Harry thank you very much indeed for your question.  I don't need that mic any more.  Harry asks "what actually makes up the ingredients of Laphroaig?" Are we giving away trade secrets here? It's the same ingredients as everyone else isn't it? 

J: Yes

H: It's just what you do with them

J: Yes. Water, barley, yeast

H: That simple?

J: That simple

R: That's it by law

H: I had a look round a little bit early on because I was having a look round at you know where the peat comes in and the smoking there – it looks so simple but this is a – you've got to get it right every time haven't you?

J: Yes, the more – I guess the most important thing I have to do is to be as consistent as possible, and it's the same for the operators who do such a great job here

H: Yes. Got a follow-up question from Steve whose in Texas – we've got calls coming in from just about everywhere at the moment. Tanzania by the way, unusual places so far, China, they're watching, they're emailing us as we speak, there's people all over Scandinavia, Scandinavia's been really popular, Holland as we've already discussed as well, people across America, Australia and New Zealand – wherever you are let us know where you are because it's nice to put a little pin in the map there somewhere. Steve from Texas says "to what extend does the specific location of this distillery and the warehouse influence the flavour of the nectar?" – as he puts it. "I understand the water's a major factor, what about air quality, humidity?" Is your location really important to the taste?

R: Yes, we're right on the edge of the Atlantic, it must do something. They've tried over the past 100 / 120 years, they've tried to duplicate the flavour of Laphroaig at other distilleries, and they can't do it

M: And the gales in winter, when we have the south west –

H: You mean it's not always as calm as today then?

M: No, no, that's beautiful weather, we're tropical, we're going tropical now at the moment

R: And that drives the midges away!

M: – but in winter really the wind blow from every direction and bring in, my house after - when there has been a big gale, my windows are white with salt, I mean it's just the briny air, so you imagine that must have an influence on the cask because the air goes through and that's a conversation, great conversation with a cask

H: Question follow-up to that if you like, Steve says "if I was able to" – because he wouldn't be allowed to – "but if I was able to buy a cask of maturing whisky and take it back to Texas, would it come out the same or would it come out differently?"

R: Well first of all it wouldn't be Scotch whisky

H: Ah that's true

R: Because we're governed by law

H: Yep

R: It would be American whisky, and I know from experience that if he takes it back to America and leaves it for more than about 18 months, it would not be Scotch whisky in flavour either

H: Right

R: It would change because of the temperature

M: Dryness

R: You've got hot summer, summer's very much hotter than here, it's very much drier, this all changes the actual maturation of the whisky, just think through that wall there, that's the Atlantic. Martine was talking, I mean we get gales and the seaweed gets on the roof, so this is an actual damp warehouse, and that's what makes Laphroaig one of the secrets of Laphroaig is that damp warehouse

H: Deliberately damp warehouse

R: Traditionally!

H: Traditionally damp! Deliberate in its location, I don't mean you try and hose it down or anything stupid like that! Ok we'll go to another whisky now, but before I do that, I notice you've got some plates of cheese in front of you, and it's a good point to bring this in because we've had a lot of questions talking about whisky and food, and we're going to address that a little bit later on as well, but you've got some plates of cheese – cheese and whisky, yes?

M: Yes, yes absolutely

R: Beautiful

M: Because very often the answer is wine, but wine doesn't go with all the cheeses, if you have different cheeses and you try – we're doing our own little experiment at the moment to talk later, we just taste a little bit, but it's very, very interesting to do the matching, so whether we'll have some compliment, we'll have some shock sometimes, but it's the dryness and the fat of the cheese, but will protect the taste bud from the alcohol and it's just gorgeous, it's a beautiful couple

R: They actually compliment each other

H: Cheese and whisky parties?

R: Yes

H: Great, why not?  And particular cheeses, any – we've got a mixture down there

R: Funnily enough we were talking about the quarter cask, Martine likes Manchego with it, I quite actually like this Laphroaig matured cheese there that I actually like because it's slightly sweet, and I like the sweetness to go with the quarter cask. 

H: And it's from the same island too

R: It's – well about within 20 miles of the island

H: Well it's close, it's close. It's as close as it's going to get. Ok, so food and whisky – it's not out of the question at all?

J: No not at all, I and probably if you're trying to cook with Laphroaig especially probably seafood, fish seems to go very well with Laphroaig

H: See if we can rustle some up in a short moment. Bruce Kayler Thompson, hello Bruce Kayler Thompson, he's down under, he says "this is such a fantastic idea, it's a pity us convicts down under" – his words, not mine – "have got a 6am wake-up call which is pretty hard on the rest of us, but great idea, enjoying the show." So nice to know there's people down there doing it all as well. So, we've discussed two, we're going to move on to the third one. This is your baby isn't it?

R: Yes, well yes in a way – Cáirdeas, each year for the Islay festival, we like to bring something different out for the friends of Laphroaig, for sale at Laphroaig, and this year I picked up this

H: This is Cáirdeas

R: Cáirdeas, yep

H: Actually one of the questions was, a lot of the friends of Laphroaig have never heard the word Cáirdeas being said before, whilst they've read letters, and I've had everything from Cardeas to goodness knows what – Cáirdeas?

R: Cáirdeas

H: Ok

R: Cardeas is the English version

H: Fine, thank you

R: Which we don't talk about

H: So Cáirdeas, does it mean something?

R: Friendship

H:  There we go, that's all you need to know

R: And it is basically it's a friendship. Back in 2004, Martine was talking about the Quarter Cask, I put together a vat with more whisky in it than I needed to fill the Quarter Cask.  At that time, you can see we've got masses behind us, I was only allowed to fill 110 casks, so I had more whisky in the vat. Now they had been matured in fresh ex-Bourbon casks, and I thought, let's run an experiment, let's put them not back into the same cask, but into fresh ex-Bourbon casks so you get a double flavour from them. Now they've been lying in the cask for nearly 4 years now. I tested them late last summer and they had matured.  Now what you've got to think about is that the whisky in there is between 9-14 years old. We never talk about average ages, but that's the age range.  Now I thought it was just about right, but we needed something just slightly different, and way back in the late 1800s, the original blenders had something they called a Power Egg, now that's a small amount of old whisky, different whisky that you put into a blend that actually changes the flavour. It's like adding vanilla to custard, it makes it completely different

H: Sure

R: And I happen to happen upon two butts of 17 year old second fill Egg Sherry casks, which was absolutely superb. I mixed it with this, so this is a mix of whiskies of 9 years old up to 17 years old.  Now when you pick it up, it's bottled at 55% - now when you smell that – normally with a high strength whisky you actually smell alcohol. With this one you don't. First thing you get through there, it's spice. You get a lot of the spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. You get a creaminess, but you also get smoke, and there's a slight vistiness behind it

M: Little earthy -

R: Yes it's like a dead fire in a way, it's like the embers of a fire, slightly earthy

M: When the rain falls on it and it's just a dying bonfire

H: Left embers of a fire, that's a good description

R: Yes, but this is one of the ones I use – I always drink some water and then some whisky to get the flavour

H: So you can't talk then, it's good. Ok – see you still can't answer back, it's good! Whilst you're doing that, Stephan whose one of the many Scandinavians, we've got loads of Scandinavians watching this so thank you very much indeed for staying with us. "Why did you adjust the colour of the Cáirdeas with caramel?"

R: It isn't

H: It isn't? Thank you

R: It's not right. If you would like to pick up the carton for it, you'll see on the back of it, it says there's colour added. That was a printing error at the printers – there is no colour added to this

H: Good

R: That's as it came, as it was mixed in the different –

H: It's a valid question then?

R: It's a very – and I'm glad it was asked because I keep telling people this. I mean we should really get rid of the cartons and get new ones printed, but to hand change all the bottles –

H: Sure

R: It's a bit of a problem

H: You're going to be sitting there for a long time aren't you?

R: Yes, no I wouldn't John would be! But the one point is see when you taste this, taste is immense, it actually tastes –

M: It's a wee bit cheeky because you're not expecting that fizziness, it's like a fire cracker –

J: Fire cracker

M: Which just bursts in your mouth

J: The bubbles jump in

M: You were expecting smoothness and rawness from the nose because it's quite creamy and all, and then it surprises you, and that's great, I mean when you talk with somebody who surprises you, even with question or whatever, it's a sort of challenge you have on your taste but here, and with water it goes completely different

R: It changes

M: Water sort of puts him a bit to sleep, so personally I don't add much water, maybe just a drop, but I like it fizzy, I like it lively and vibrant, very vibrant

H: Ok well whilst we're with you Martine just one comment in from Tommy in Norway, thank you Tom for the question, or at least the comment. He says "Martine just to let you know we've got some really good smoked cheeses in Norway which go perfectly with this whisky. Really good." So there you go, there's a comment from Norway and there's another marriage made in heaven

M: And maybe if you can have what I call the bridge between the cheese and the whisky, it's like oat cakes or – oat cakes are really perfect, because you need to have something cereal. In France we eat our cheeses with bread and sometimes butter, for me as I'm from Normandy, but not everybody does that, but personally with Cáirdeas I would go with a blue cheese, because this fizziness, this strong, this power of the whisky will really go well with the tingling, the tanginess of a blue cheeses which is also creamy. This is a Darsun Blue we have here, perfect but can be also, I don't know Stilton – but a creamy blue cheese will be for me perfect

R: But that's part of the fun of doing these tastings, I mean you can set up whatever cheeses, wherever in the world you are, you will have cheeses. So pick out 3, 4, 5 of them and try them.  Taste them with the whisky, actually taste a bit of cheese in your mouth and then taste the cheese onto it and see how the flavours develop

H: Ok. John I bet there's nothing you can add to all of this is there?

J: It's pretty thorough wasn't it?

H: It's pretty thorough, you can stay quiet! Have a rest for a second.  We're going to open that butt in just a second, we're going to do that in just a sec – we're just going to go to the staff before we do so, Vicki just on this side here

V: Hi

H: You've only been with the company what 5 weeks or so, so a chance to drink some whisky?

V: Yes but I had a chance before I started as well, so – I grew up on Spayside so this is a bit of a change

H: I should say a change for the better

V: Yes, absolutely

H: Yes of course. I'm going to go down the line here because some of the guys – what do you do here first of all, your name is?

P: Peter Mcdermot

H: Peter what do you do?

P: I work in the warehouse

H: And enjoyable work for you? I mean whisky, do you drink much of it?

P: No not really but I enjoy what I do though

H: Been put off, kind of been put off it by working with it?

P: A wee bit yes

H: It's a bit like working in a sweet factory and not eating sweets any more

P: It's classes as an old man's drink as well so –

H: So your good self, how long have you been with the company?

S: 24 years

H: Wow, all that time

S: My favourite dram's not here by the way

H: Sorry?

S: My favourite Laphroaig's not on the table

H: What's your favourite?

S: 15 year old

H: Yes I kind of like that, I tried that one last time, it's good isn't it?

S: I like that

H: So you're a bit upset about that?

S: No not at all

H: I'm sure we can find one in here somewhere for you –

S: I know where they are

H: You know where they are right? Ok, and on the end sir? It's James isn't it?

S: James Macgregor, aye

H: Hi James, you're going to be opening that barrel for us in a minute?

S: I'm going to open for you right now

H: Alright we're going to go and let you do that in just a second.  Friends from Laphroaig are enjoying themselves there, but we're going to set you off on your way, thank you very much indeed James for doing that. So quick question from Colin here – what's the best thing about working at Laphroaig?" so we'll go back to our man whose been here for 24 years, what's the best thing about working at Laphroaig?

S: It's just a wonderful place to work in. The scenery, and the boys are all friendly.

H: Bit of a family thing going on

S: It is, very family yes

H: Even if they haven't – you've only been here 5 weeks –

V: I've only been here 5 weeks but it definitely is just like a big family here, everybody gets on well with each other, and we're all working for a great distillery here, it's great to be a part of the team

H: Saying all the right things here, only just been here. Hey, you got that open, that was quick and pretty sound proof. What's this piece of apparatus we've got in here, what's that called?

S: That's the lynch, and I'm just getting a sample out the cask, he's pouring it into the glasses there to give us a wee taste

H: That's great it's going everywhere, that's fantastic

S: Straight from the cask

H: That's straight from the cask, ok. Whilst that's coming straight from the cask, let's just talk about this – this is probably, I was told earlier on, maybe a month early coming out of the cask, would that be right – is this work in progress?

J: This is work in progress, yes, what we've done with this one, we started off with Bourbon barrels mostly

H: Yes

J: As most Laphroaigs usually do. We then double matured it in quarter casks, and then we've now given it a third oak finish in these European oak sherry butts that we got from Jerez

H: It's pretty exciting – these are from Jerez, these are sherry butts aren't they?

J: Yes

H: So that's given it a different texture, different flavour again, drawing something out of the wood?

J: It should do, yes. What it should do, it should just add more of a sweetness, sherry influence to the – and there should be a real, deep body in this one with the 3 sets of fresh casks

H: Ok, so how exciting is it to be taking something straight from the barrel and drinking it – it's something people don't get the chance to do? It's organic isn't it?

J: I think if most of the people watching this program tonight could do one thing at Laphroaig -

H: That would be it

J: That would be it, just what James did there

H: Trust me as soon as this program is over, I'm going straight to that barrel, whether you like it or not! So what's it tasting like, what are you getting out of this?

J: Well this one, because I get a – because it hasn't fully, well it's not fully finished, there's just an initial gentle sweetness, raisins I would say with this one. It becomes more spicy with the three lots of oak, and then it starts kind of feeling dry, and then the smokiness envelops it all again

H: I got a question which just came in which – these barrels, were they used for Oloroso sherry?

J: Yes

H: yes they were, ok. Martine?

M: What is really stunning here is that I mean it's a 58 or 60% - 60? And it's really – it doesn't harm your nose, you know you really find it really sweet, I've got this crème brulee, my-

H: Nice crème brulee

M: I love my food as you know

R: Crème brulee – I reckon it's vanilla toffees

M: Yes

H: That's pretty close between the two isn't it?

M: Yes. And in the back it's again Laphroaig comes back with this, what I call my animal aromas which is – I have a feeling I have a cow, not very far from me with a mix of straw and this creosote, which this sort of disinfectant to clean the stable but the cow, it's very warm, it's an image which is really a good image from the country, something nature, something true, and on the palette a smoothness to start with, this peach, peach and syrup something or other, and again the birth of spices which comes behind, and lingers on your tongue. The wood is here but never, never overwhelming and –

R: One of the things we tried to do, I tried to do with this is you've got a balance with quarter cask between American barrels and mature – we wanted to do something different to it, to add a different twist to it, and the different twist is in this. Now we're not calling it Sherry finish or anything like that because we don't believe in finishes, we're calling it triple wood because there's a slight dryness, a slight – tininess that comes from the European oak, because it's a much harder oak, it's a slightly thyme flavour that comes in, over and above the Laphroaig flavour itself

J: Kind of like a bitterness

R: It's a slight bitterness

H: Ok, whilst you're tasting on that, there's two questions that have come in, one certainly for you Robert which is, as we've just seen, it's just come out of the barrel, the butt, it's come out of wood, straight being drawn, straight into the glass –what will you do to that whisky when it comes out of the cask, when it goes into the bottle – will you do anything to it, will you just leave it as it is?  What happens to it?

R: It depends, if you look at the Cáirdeas for example –

H: That was Neil in Derby, exotic Derby by the way

R: The Cáirdeas is bottled at 55%

H: Right

R: The actual vat strength was about 58 – but that was just slightly strong

H: Yes

R: It really depends on the whisky and we'll decide on what we think is the best, and when we come to the last one

H: We're doing that in just a sec

R: That's a different kettle of Laphroaig – but it's really what the best strength is for the whisky nowadays

H: Ok

M: I'd love to meet up with it in two months or three months time

H: Me too

M: To see – yes – the sherry has just given a little more raisin flavour

H: I'll see you in mid-August, we'll chat together, I'll be back. We've got another one from Ave whose in Norway who said "when will the new triple wood be launched? What strength will it be bottled at and what price will it be?" There's 3 difficult questions –

R: We're going to bottle in about 3 months time

H: Ok, John? In terms of what strength it will be and what price?

J: Strength will be the best for the flavour profile. I think initially it'll be getting launched from Duty Free, so they'll be getting it initially, but I'm sure we might reserve some for friends of Laphroaig

H: I think you should do, I think you should indeed. We've had so many questions internationally we can't possibly ask all the questions all over the place, but we thank you very much indeed for all the questions that we've had in and we're trying to get in as many of the questions as we possibly can but it's going to be impossible. We could be here until tomorrow morning, which wouldn't be a bad idea actually! We'll have a lock-in, we'll stay here forever. Ok but thank you to everyone for the questions that we've had so far.  We're moving on to the final whisky down here, and this one is, in fact if you look on the front here you'll see this doesn't even have a label on it, a proper label – did the printer run out on this one –

R: No I brought that back from the bottling hull today when I came across

H: Why is it so new?

R: Because it's only just in the bottle yesterday

H: Wow

R: With one of the – this is one that we bought down to 43%, because we think for this it's just about the right strength

H: And this is Cáirdeas 30?

R: 30 year old. John can tell you the story about this because it's strictly for Friends of Laphroaig

H: Come on then – it's been passed down

J: Well this was just a few casks we had left of 30 year old, and we thought we would, again, just a twist – we kind of like to experiment a wee bit more in recent years, so what we've done with this one, we've put the 30 year old into the first filled Bourbons

H: Right

J: For 5 or 6 months and it gives it a completely different twist again

H: So that's first filled Bourbon barrels

J: Fully matured for 30 years and then we put them into these Bourbon barrels we've got

H: Wow, so that really has put a twist on it

J: Yes just a twist

H: But 30 year old, this is top expensive stuff then right?

J: Probably will be potentially quite expensive yes

H: Alright

J: Because there is a very limited amount as well and we want to try and keep it exclusively for Friends of Laphroaig as well

H: Ok we're going to get just a couple of little tasting hints off you as this comes down in just a sec, but John from harpers.co.uk, thank you very much indeed for that. He says "what is your take on the current controversy surrounding the term 'blended malt' being introduced into the industry – will it benefit or hinder malt whisky sales?" Is it a good thing, is it a bad thing?

R: Can I answer that personally?

H: You can answer that personally, you can answer that how you want

R:  Nothing to do with the company, I think it's absolutely ridiculous. Everybody's grown up in the industry talking about vatted malt. Our customers know what a vatted malt is. You talk about a blended malt, people will then mistake it for a blended whisky

H: They will

R: And that's not something we want to do. That's a very personal opinion

H: A blur in the market?

J: I think at least you can't have the same name, that's the major thing I think in all of this for me, you can't have Laphroaig, blended malt and have a Laphroaig single malt – we would have to call it xxx or something like that.  At least you can't have the same name

M: Personally as the editor of Whisky magazine, I've decided and written that I will never use the word "blended malt" in my writing, so maybe again it's the 14th July spirit in that rant – I've written it and I stick to it

H: Ok question from Mike – "are there any plans to bring out any special expressions in the States?"  Now there's a problem with this and it's on bottle size isn't it? Just explain what happens here

J: A couple of things, bottle size and also it's just dealing with, when you're dealing with the States it's like dealing with 51 different – or 52 – different countries for each –

H: Each state has got their own rules?

J: Own rules, stuff like that – but

H: Here's one we prepared earlier! I knew it was down there

J: We have done this one, we have got about – well 1427 bottles

H: To be exact

J: 750ml, specially done for US for this year. It should be available in the Fall as they say in the US

H: So there are – let me just – there are 1427 bottles, this is 1371 of those

J: This is number 1371, yes. So it will be – it's available in the US in the fall and we will get more details to the Friends of Laphroaig in the US

H: There'll be an order list for this won't there?

J: At least we're managing to get something to them now, that's the main thing, because it was always very tough and we can't ship to the US directly from the distilleries, that was always the problem

H: Ok

J: It's nice to be able to do something

H: Forgive me for not having mentioned too much about this 30 year Cáirdeas and the flavours you're getting out of it. Martine do you want to pick up on that one?

M: First of all what I find really interesting here is that usually when you have, you do just the opposite, you have a Bourbon matured whisky that you will double mature in sherry, and here you've done just the opposite, and people will think well if it's a sherry whisky, if you put it into first filled Bourbon casks they will not show, they will not give any influence because sherry is big, but what is interesting here is that the first filled Bourbon has come through, and I find this whisky is for me, is a perfect balance, it's really stunning because personally, it's my personal taste, I'm not too much a sherry person, I'm more a Bourbon cask person, and here I think this sherry is so subtle, so elegant – the elegance here which really struck me, and when you look at the colour, it's a sunset drum, it's long, it's sensuous, it gets all the creaminess goes through as well and also again, the famous, I repeat myself, the famous Laphroaig sooty character goes through so you've got everything, and if you're a fan of Laphroaig you're a happy fan of Laphroaig because you've got everything, except for the price maybe

R: We like doing things differently here

H:Yes

R: We never like to just stay along, float along with everybody else, we like to try different things, and the quarter casks were one of these. I mean those of you who remember that the 30 year old we bought out 7 years ago, will try this and find it's completely different. With the 30 year old we had, it was a lot of sherry coming through, there was a lot of raisins and grapes. This isn't, this is very dry, it's slightly nutty - there's a little bit of fruitiness there, there's a little bit of soft sweetness there, but you do get also an intense peatiness, especially on the taste

H: Ok well

M: The texture – sorry but it will be there tomorrow morning – the texture, it is this velvet, it's caressing, it's really – well water, not water, for me sincerely, no water – I tried it with a drop, and even a drop I think it just puts it – it kneels down with water

J: It comes out a wee bit bitter with water

M: Exactly

J: Which you probably don't want, but again – yes

H: You're left with nothing to say which is great! You're just enjoying it! Good. Can I just say thank you to everyone down here who woke up for breakfast this morning joining us, we've had hundreds if not thousands of people from New Zealand, Australia, Scandinavia, across Africa, China, America and Canada, John Hixon is joining us from Canada, he says "I pour a little Laphroaig on my morning porridge.  Is it a stupid idea, it seems to improve the taste of the porridge?"

M: It's wonderful, it's brilliant

H: Oh yes yes yes

M: And salt and pepper, not sugar, no honey for me, just salt and pepper and just a wee drop of cream, single cream – that's a treat, it's a treat

R: No I like it with a touch of salt, a touch of Laphroaig and some raisins

M: Oh yes the raisins

J: Similar thing – but I'm going to give you a different story this time

H: No go for it

J: What happens is we – when there' s a couple that come over for the festival every year on Islay we have this Malt and Music festival, and they come into the floor malt in the distillery and they take away some of the malt and they put that in their porridge every morning when they're in Islay.  It should give them a similar flavour

H: Do you know tomorrow morning that's exactly what I'm going to be doing, exactly the same. It's got to be porridge tomorrow. We are out of time, there are so many questions that we could have asked – there's questions here from Italy, from Tanzania, we couldn't get through to those, Sweden, just all over the world people have been joining us, thank you very much indeed for doing so. If we didn't ask your question we asked a generic one which was something like yours so thank you very much indeed for those. We'd like to thank our Friends of Laphroaig as well, thank you for joining us alongside there as well. Cheers to you, I will get a glass in a moment and toast you back as well, but thank you very much for joining us, I hope you've had a – it's very kind of you John, thank you very much indeed. We'd like to thank our employees as well over on this side here, thanks very much, I know James has disappeared because he was over that side opening things, he's over there now so – thanks very much indeed for joining us, a well-earned break for you with your feet up tasting a little bit of it as well. And thank you to everyone whose made us feel so welcome at Laphroaig as well, and indeed to Robert, and to Martine and to John, thank you for your expert knowledge. As always you paint such a great picture that it just makes you want to take the cork out the bottle and drink it all, so thank you for that and thank you for making us all feel so welcome

R: Slanjovar

M: Slanjovar

H: Slanjovar indeed, that's it from us, thank you very much indeed for joining us, we'll leave you with some beautiful and stunning images from where we are live right now at the Laphroaig distillery, and we'd just like to say goodnight, good morning wherever you happen to be in the world and we'll see you again from Laphroaig. Bye bye

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