Bessie's Island Diary
The Sweet Smoke of a Peat Fire

Each May, before the heather blooms, we pack sandwiches and journey to Laphroaig's peat banks on Glenmachrie Moss. Everyone from the distillery, including our neighbours, cuts peat to feed our kilns. Without it life at Laphroaig, indeed life on Islay, would cease to exist. Peat plays a major part at every stage of our production. Once the green malt leaves the malting floor, it is gently toasted to retain the maltose for fermentation. At Laphroaig this takes place in our Pagoda kiln, heated by a peat fire from which sweet smoke slowly drifts to give Laphroaig its unmistakably pungent flavour.

Bessie's Island Diary The sweet smoke of a peat fire The water on Islay tastes of whisky The heart of the distillery The long sleep of maturation The traditional malting floor

Copyright & Copy D. Johnston & Co., (Laphroaig), Laphroaig Distillery, Isle of Islay
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