There's no smoke without Laphroaig
Join us in Germany for this year's Laphroaig Live, as we explore the impact that smoking has on Laphroaig; be it beer, Islay peat or German sausage meat...
Laphroaig Live 2012 will be broadcast live from Germany, during this year’s Oktoberfest - the World’s largest fair! This celebration of Bavarian beer dates back to 1810, making it just 5 years older than Laphroaig itself.
Despite the very different end results, those familiar with the whisky making process will know that prior to distillation, whisky is essentially beer. We’ll be exploring the similarities between them, and sampling some local beer that has been matured in a Laphroaig Quarter Cask.
A traditional accompaniment of German sausages will act as the perfect companion for our Laphroaig beer. These lucky sausages will also be given a Laphroaig infusion as we’ll be smoking them over wood chips taken from one of our barrels.
Known as the most richly flavoured of all scotch whiskies, Laphroaig’s smoky profile comes from the peat that we use to smoke our malt. We’ll be examining the influence that this special smoky peat has on two of our most popular expressions, the Laphroaig 10 year old and the beloved Laphroaig Quarter Cask.
In comparison with our Islay peated malts, we’ll also be tasting a Highland peated malt from our sister distillery, Ardmore, and an Irish peated malt, Connemara, from our sister distillery in Ireland. These three peated malts all have their own very different but distinct qualities and we’ll be exploring those with our whisky experts during the show.
As always, we will be joined by Laphroaig Distillery Manager, John Campbell. He will be accompanied by master blender Robert Hicks, the revered Bernhard Schäfer, whisky writer and Master of the Quaich and Pierre Thiebaut, founder of whisky fansite Connosr.com. A studio audience of Friends of Laphroaig will join the tens of thousands of Laphroaig fans Worldwide that tune in to our live show every year.
John Campbell, Distillery Manager
Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is distilled on the remote island of Islay off the West coast of Scotland.
John Campbell was named Laphroaig’s distillery manager in 2006, fulfilling a 12-year-old ambition. He is the youngest distiller on the island and the first Ileach (native of Islay) to run Laphroaig in its 190 year history. Since joining Laphroaig in 1994, John has worked across the whole distilling process both at Laphroaig and in distilleries including Tormore, Miltonduff and Ardmore.
In July 2001 John returned from Speyside to take up the post as Laphroaig's Brewer. He has since taken the lead to upgrade the distillery and produce a number of successful limited edition bottlings to support the 'Feis Ile' (Gaelic for Islay Festival).
In addition to his role as Distillery Manager, John plays a lead role in promoting Laphroaig around the world. This includes running the distillery's "Friends of Laphroaig" program, which today boasts over 400,000 strong membership from over 150 countries. John Campbell grew up in the shadow of Laphroaig, and now, he's running the distillery!
Established in 1815, Laphroaig is the world’s best selling Islay malt whisky and is known to be the most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies. The distillery still owns its own peat moors and produces its own maltings. Its whisky maturation warehouses directly face the sea, which contributes to the very characterful whisky it produces.
Bernhard Schäfer
Bernhard has been a great ambassador for Scotch Whisky in Germany and internationally. He works as an independent consultant for several Whisky companies in Germany, he is a lecturer for whisky enthusiasts and connoisseurs, and was the first German spirits judge at the IWSC.
He founded the first Whisky club in Germany and was the driving force behind establishing the German chapter of the Keepers of the Quaich – the first of the international chapters where he has been the Chapter Secretary since its founding.
Pierre Thiebaut
Pierre is co-founder of www.connosr.com, an independently owned social networking community for whisky lovers to discuss, rate and review their beloved malts. Connosr currently attracts around 2,000,000 visitors a year.
Pierre is also co-owner of Whisky Marketplace the whisky search and price comparison engine with sites operating across 21 countries and 11 different languages – www.whiskymarketplace.com
As well being a regular judge for whisky competitions such as Whisky Magazine's World Whisky Awards and the Independent Bottlers Challenge, Pierre presents WMTV the popular whisky video podcast – www.whiskymarketplace.co.uk/podcasts
Robert Hicks, Master Blender
Born early March 1945 and been married since 1966 with 2 sons, 1 daughter and 3 grandchildren.
Before he retired in October 2005, Robert Hicks was Master Blender for Allied Distillers for many years. There he was responsible for the quality and flavour of many world famous whisky brands. Some of the most well known were Ballantine’s, Teachers and Laphroaig. Since retiring he has started his own Scotch Whisky Consultancy to maintain his interest in the industry.
Since November 2005 he has been contracted to Beam Global Spirits and Wines as Consultant Master Blender for Teachers Highland Cream Blended Scotch Whisky, and Laphroaig Islay Single Malt and Ardmore Highland Single Malt Whiskies. He is also Brand Ambassador for these 3 whiskies and has been all over the world representing them since taking up this position.
He started working in the Scotch Whisky industry late in 1964 and, after gaining knowledge of most functions in the industry joined George Ballantine & Sons in 1970 as Assistant Blender, rising over the years to the position of Master Blender.
His expertise covers all parts of the industry from Distilling, Maturation, Blending and Bottling through to Marketing. This, together with his wide-ranging knowledge of whiskies in all its styles throughout the world was significant to the responsibility he held within Allied Domecq.
Being awarded first ever Distiller of the Year Trophy by the International Spirits Challenge in 1998 was seen as a highlight in his career but this was enhanced when he subsequently was awarded the title again in 1999 and 2003. He was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for services to the industry in 2005 and has just received his second Lifetime Achievement Award on November 10th 2010 at the New York Whisky Fest.
A perfect example of the many varied brands he has developed over his many years in the industry was his production of Laphroaig ¼ Cask which, in the words of Allied Domecq’s Malts Brands Director “to produce this exciting and unique Laphroaig variant is a tribute to the skills of Robert Hicks our master blender who has overseen every step of this unrivalled process”.
