THEDAILYWHISKY

Laphroaig built its name on young, medicinal, unapologetically peaty whisky. The second chapter of its Strong Characters series goes somewhere quieter. This is a 35-year-old Islay single malt matured entirely in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, and after three and a half decades the peat smoke has been worn down to something creamy rather than sharp. It is priced at £880, limited to 5,500 bottles worldwide, and honours Dugald Johnston, the man who ran Laphroaig through the middle of the 19th century.

Laphroaig 35 Year Old Strong Characters Chapter 2 is the follow-up to last year’s 33 Year Old Chapter 1, which celebrated co-founder Donald Johnston. Where Chapter 1 was bottled at cask strength, Chapter 2 arrives at 43.8% ABV, matured exclusively in ex-bourbon oak. Bottles are available now on Laphroaig.com and through specialist whisky retailers, with the UK price set at £880 for a 70cl bottle.

The key facts

Whisky: Laphroaig 35 Year Old, Strong Characters Chapter 2 
Region: Islay single malt Scotch whisky 
Age: 35 years
ABV: 43.8% 
Cask type: American white oak ex-bourbon barrels (exclusively) 
Outturn: 5,500 bottles worldwide 
Price:£880 (UK), 70cl 
Availability: Laphroaig.com and specialist retailers; the series has sold internationally, so expect allocations across the UK, EU and US 
Illustration: Bill Bragg

What Strong Characters is, and where Chapter 2 sits

Strong Characters is Laphroaig’s limited-edition series built around the people who shaped the distillery since it was established in 1815. Each release pairs a high-aged whisky with black-and-white artwork by British illustrator Bill Bragg, whose work runs across the label, the outer packaging and an accompanying booklet.

Chapter 1 told the story of Donald Johnston, who co-founded Laphroaig and whose era the label frames as 1810 to 1847. Chapter 2 picks up exactly where that left off. The new bottle carries the dates 1847 to 1877 and turns to Donald’s son, Dugald.

Dugald inherited the distillery as a boy in 1847, during a difficult stretch for Islay marked by economic hardship and a falling population. He learned the craft behind the scenes before taking formal control as a young man, and over the following two decades he grew Laphroaig considerably, increasing production more than threefold while keeping the house character intact. It is a story of continuity under pressure, which is a fitting frame for a whisky about patience.

What makes this release different: age doing the work, not cask trickery

The interesting choice here is restraint. There is no sherry finish, no wine cask, no reactive wood pulling the spirit in a new direction. Chapter 2 is single-cask-type maturation: ex-bourbon barrels and 35 years.

That matters because it lets the age show. Laphroaig’s signature at younger ages is bright, coastal and phenolic. Given this much time in first-fill-style American oak, the distillery says the smoke mellows into something creamy and complex, with the peat still present but softened around the edges. The 43.8% bottling strength is a deliberate signal too: this is a whisky meant to be sipped and considered rather than wrestled with.

Official tasting notes

We have not tasted this bottle yet, so the notes below come from Laphroaig rather than from a TDW session. We will update with our own assessment if we get a pour.

Laphroaig 35 Year Old Strong Characters Chapter 2 — official notes

Palate: Initial sweetness, followed by freshly baked pastry, apple and cherry
Character: Softer and more nuanced than the core range, with the ex-bourbon oak adding creaminess while the peat smoke remains recognisable 
ABV: 43.8% | Cask type: American white oak ex-bourbon barrels | Price: £880

Master blender Dr Calum Fraser, who oversees Scotch and Irish whisky at Suntory Global Spirits, framed the release around scarcity: very few casks of high-aged Laphroaig remain, which made building a 35-year-old both a privilege and a responsibility. The aim, in his words, was to show a softer, more nuanced side of Laphroaig without losing what makes it Laphroaig.

Price and availability

At £880 for a 70cl bottle, this sits firmly in collector and special-occasion territory rather than everyday buying. The outturn of 5,500 bottles is small for a global release, so if you want one, treat it as time-sensitive.

The whisky is listed on Laphroaig.com and is being carried by specialist whisky retailers. Chapter 1 reached buyers across the UK, Europe and the US, and international listings for Chapter 2 have already begun appearing, so drinkers in the wider EU and North America should be able to source it through specialist shops that ship across borders. Pricing outside the UK will vary with local duty and import costs.

Is it worth it?

For the money, the honest read is that this is aimed at two people: the Laphroaig completist who wants the full Strong Characters set alongside Chapter 1, and the drinker curious about what three and a half decades does to Islay peat. If you love Laphroaig specifically for its young, punchy, iodine-forward core range, a mellowed 35-year-old at 43.8% is a different experience and worth going in with that expectation.

If you want the set, the pairing logic is strong: Chapter 1’s 33 Year Old at cask strength and Chapter 2’s softer 35 Year Old make a genuine father-and-son bookend, both carried by the same Bill Bragg artwork. On its own, £880 buys you a rare, high-aged, single-oak-type Laphroaig, which is exactly the kind of bottle that gets harder to find every year.

Worth watching next: whether Laphroaig continues the series into a Chapter 3, and where in the family or distillery history it goes.

Frequently asked questions

What is Laphroaig 35 Year Old Strong Characters Chapter 2? It is a 35-year-old Islay single malt Scotch whisky and the second release in Laphroaig’s Strong Characters series. It honours Dugald Johnston, son of co-founder Donald Johnston, and is limited to 5,500 bottles worldwide at 43.8% ABV.

What does Laphroaig 35 Strong Characters Chapter 2 taste like? According to Laphroaig, it opens with sweetness followed by freshly baked pastry, apple and cherry. Thirty-five years in ex-bourbon oak has softened the distillery’s signature peat smoke into something creamier and more nuanced, while keeping its recognisable Islay character.

How much does Laphroaig 35 Strong Characters Chapter 2 cost? The UK price is £880 for a 70cl bottle. It is a limited edition of 5,500 bottles, so pricing outside the UK will vary depending on local duty, taxes and import costs through specialist retailers.

Where can I buy Laphroaig 35 Strong Characters Chapter 2? It is available on Laphroaig.com and through specialist whisky retailers. The first chapter sold across the UK, EU and US, so international buyers should be able to source Chapter 2 through specialist shops that ship internationally.

What casks are used in Laphroaig 35 Strong Characters Chapter 2? It is matured exclusively in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, with no secondary finish. This single-oak-type approach lets the extended age soften the peat rather than layering on sherry or wine cask influence.

What is the difference between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2? Chapter 1 is a 33 Year Old honouring co-founder Donald Johnston, bottled at cask strength. Chapter 2 is a 35 Year Old honouring his son Dugald Johnston, bottled at 43.8% ABV in ex-bourbon oak. Both feature illustrations by Bill Bragg.