A trio of Williamson distilled at Laphroaig
Williamson is the name of the former distillery manager Bessie Williamson, who lead Laphroaig to great heights as a respected Islay single malt. Today we have three samples on the table that are named thus, even though you can see in the marketplace that some independent bottlers are making less and less of a secret that they are offering you Laphroaig. I even saw a label somewhere that stated “Williamson distilled at Laphroaig”. Well now! We can do that trick too.
Williamson 15 years old, vintage 2010, bottled at 55,9 % abv by Berry Bros & Rudd
First things first: Barrel # 875036 was distilled at Laphroaig Distillery and filled in 2010. The barrel only delivered 94 bottles, so maybe a split-cask? This was bottled for Whiskybase Plus members.
Upon Sipping: Beautiful, classically maritime peat, with hints of lemon and dry hey or windswept salty grassland near the sea. Very crystalline, like pure air in a glass, with the kiln fuming in the background. Some green apples linger underneath these layers. Very complex and rewarding. A rather salty arrival on the palate though, where the alcohol burn stings quite a bit. The fruity ashes take control of the finish, but the palate is the domain of smoky vanilla. The salinity is only there on the tip of the tongue. Quite a beast to drink, we will drop in some water to tame it. And what an improvement it is! The smells multiply and now I also pick up dunnage warehouse where peated malt is surely maturing into brilliance. Quite magical, and classic Laphroaig on the nose. The drinking experience has improved, but the mouthfeel feels a bit enveloped by a capsule, a layer over the general impressions. Some bitter lemons arise on the finish, leaving a smouldering mouthful of peat to remember you of the fact you just had an Islay malt in its prime.
Word to the Wise: Stunning Laphroaig, not without its mistakes, but all in all close to perfection. It needs some water to fully perform all these wonders, at the cost of the raw impact of drinking. This keeps it shy from the 90-points mark, but all in all this is a delightful bottle.
Score: 89 points.
Williamson I, vintage 2015, bottled at 57,1 % abv by PerfectDram
First things first: Both this Laphroaig and the next one were distilled on 31 March 2015, but that is where the road split. Williamson I was matured in bourbon hogshead # 142 and yielded 195 bottles for The Netherlands. Bottling was done on 1 April 2025.
Upon Sipping: Bottled on April Fool’s Day, but this stuff is no joke! The nose is rather similar to the 2010 we tasted above, perhaps with more yellow influences, like smoky banana. More brine too. This was a good and active hogshead. The palate is not immediately burned when you take a sip of this one, more smoothed over and better integrated, with hints of creaminess. Or oily. The finish lacks some punch however. A vatting of the above 2010 and this 2015 bourbon cask would create heaven, I promise. (I actually combined the two sample leftovers to see what happens.) With water, the nose becomes more exuberant, fierce on peat smoke and maritime lemons. Do lemon trees grow on Islay? One should try! The taste remains more or less the same, with some added sweetness. Pour water at will.
Word to the Wise: Another strong effort by Williamson distilled at Laphroaig. This one runs a bit out of stream towards the finish, but up until that moment it is equal to the five years older sibling.
Score: 87 points.
Williamson II, vintage 2015, bottled at 57,1 % abv by PerfectDram
First things first: Both this Laphroaig and the previous one were distilled on 31 March 2015, but that is where the road split. Williamson II was matured in a Ruby Port barrique # 142 and yielded 212 bottles for The Netherlands. Bottling was done on 3 April 2025.
Upon Sipping: This should be monstrous. The colour is beautiful and dark, like a liquid you could find in a pirate ship at the bottom of a Caribbean bay. It just looks … ancient! As expected, the nose is meaty in flavour, like venison steak sizzling on the grill, but the berries are not far away either. Peat is almost subdued, just a smoke signature. The palate is covered in a sweetened but smoky veil, and when you swallow the peat returns with a vengeance. On repeated sipping, more bitter notes are discovered. More woody than chocolatey, that is a pity. More dry on the finish on the repeated sips. Water brings out more red fruit, like blueberries and very dark red strawberries. The finish remains on the bitter side, but all in all, this port Laphroaig is very well balanced.
Word to the Wise: Laphroaig seems to work well with port, but you got to have an open mind. I always liked this purple Càirdeas expression they did in 2013. This Williamson II is probably one of the best port matured whisky I have tasted in a long time!
Score: 86 points.