Aqua Vitae 1996 Laphroaig 26 Year Old Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Aqua Vitae 1996 Laphroaig 26 Year Old Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky is an exceptional long-aged Islay release distilled in 1996 and matured for 26 years before being bottled in 2022. Selected as part of Aqua Vitae’s striking Divine Beasts series, this single cask Laphroaig was matured in a Sherry Hogshead, bringing together the distillery’s unmistakable maritime peat character with layers of mature fruit, spice and rich sherry influence. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 51.2%, with only 240 bottles produced, it represents a particularly rare opportunity to experience mature Laphroaig from the celebrated 1990s era.

Distillery: Laphroaig Distillery
Bottler: Aqua Vitae
Series: Divine Beasts
Age: 26 Years Old
ABV: 51.2%
Cask Type: Sherry Hogshead
Cask Number: 9610008
Outturn: 240 Bottles 
Bottled For: Aqua Vitae × Shinanoya Japan

Aqua Vitae has established a reputation amongst Asian whisky collectors for sourcing distinctive and increasingly rare single casks from some of Scotland’s most celebrated distilleries. This particular release forms part of the Divine Beasts series and was created as a joint bottling between Aqua Vitae and renowned Japanese spirits retailer Shinanoya. Combining an exceptionally mature parcel of Laphroaig with an expressive sherry hogshead, the bottling highlights both the powerful distillery character and the additional richness developed through more than a quarter-century of maturation.

Tasting Notes:
Deep coastal peat smoke and iodine emerge immediately alongside dried plums, ripe apple and quince, with layers of tropical fruit and aromatic sandalwood adding remarkable complexity. The palate is rich and powerful, combining briny smoke and earthy peat with raisins, dark dried fruits, toasted nuts and warming spice, while mature oak tannins provide structure beneath the sweetness of the sherry cask. The finish is long and increasingly maritime, carrying lingering smoke, honeyed sweetness, dark sugar, tropical fruit and medicinal iodine into a dry, warming conclusion that beautifully showcases the depth and complexity of mature Laphroaig.