Laphroaig Aged in Wine Casks? (Petras Wine??)

[Harrison]

Howdy,

At my local fine drinking establishment, they had a special bottle of Laphroaig three weeks ago. I tried to find information about it on the Laphroaig website, but no luck.

I went back tonight, and the GM said that it was aged in "Petras wine casks" for its final aging, and that it would retail for around $120. He said there was just the one batch, and probably only about 600 bottles or so.

Can anyone identify this, and perhaps even suggest a place where it might be purchased? Comparing it to ordinary Laphroaig would be like comparing Nicole Kidman to a circus fat lady, or a Faberge egg to a hen's egg, or the Hope Diamond to an industrial grinder bit. It was absolutely amazing stuff. (Do keep in mind that I adore plain old ordinary Laphroaig.)

[Unregistered]

I reckon this must be an independant bottling of there's nothing on their website

[Jojo]

I'm doing some digging for you - sure I can find out somthing. :D

[bkblankenship]

Hi,

I have checked with a noted LAPHROAIG COLLECTOR in The Netherlands and he is not aware of an OB ( distillery bottling ) of LAPHROAIG matured and / or finished in Petra wine casks. He did lead me to an Italian independent bottler of scotch whiskies who finishes his bottlings in Venetian wine casks such as Raboso, Fragolino, and Clinto. The Italian bottler did state that it must be another Italian independent who possibly bottles from ex-Petra casks.

Would you mind asking your local watering hole to give you the information off the label or email me or post the name of the bar on "The Forum" and I will be glad to phone and ask. This JUST sounds like such an interesting dram.

[blenderm]

I'd like to know as well as I've been told that Laphroaig do not sell any of their matured stock for independant bottling's and, as far as I know, never bottled outside of the UK

[Soundmangt4]

Laphroaig do sell their stock for independent bottlings. I have 2 independent single cask bottles in my cabinet as we speak, both Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings, 1 is a 10 year old, and the other is a 16 year old.
Can't comment on the bottled outside the UK thing though.

[bkblankenship]

LAPHROAIG does sell NEW-MAKE stocks to independent bottlers. Whether they sell MATURED stocks to independent bottlers or not, I don't know. I have many examples of LAPHROAIG independent bottlings: Cadenhead, Berry Brothers & Rudd, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and Single Malts of Scotland ( The Whisky Exchange ) to name a few. Also several bottlings of Old Malt Cask ( Douglas Laing ) can be found as well as Murray McDavid, and Signatory. Samaroli of Italy, an independent bottler, has bottled LAPHROAIG in the past.

[blenderm]

I feel you'll find that apart from possibly 2 or 3 instances all independant bottlers buy their stocks from blending houses as mature stock and not from the distillery and they do not sell new spirit to independant bottlers. In fact to combat the many independant bottlings they now sell their new spirit as Williamson to blenders not as Laphroaig and have done for a few years.

[Harrison]

Wow! I sincerely appreciate the help. So, it's "Petra" wine, not "Petras"? That helps a bunch -- I found the winery website just now.

Would you mind asking your local watering hole to give you the information off the label or email me or post the name of the bar on "The Forum" and I will be glad to phone and ask. This JUST sounds like such an interesting dram.
Unfortunately, I posted my initial message after having asked the bar about just exactly this. However, this was weeks after I'd sampled it, and in the meantime, they had run out and had (criminally!!!) thrown away the bottles. The GM didn't remember anything beyond "Petras", sadly. Bribery and torture were unavailing; he couldn't, or wouldn't, even tell me where he'd obtained it.

Petra doesn't seem to have an English-language contact person; fortunately, I have an Italian colleague in town at the moment. I'll have to see if he would be willing to translate a quick note at our next Thursday meeting so that I can ask the winery if they've heard of anything about this.

[BourbonDrinker]

It was probably a bottle of 1998 Laphroaig, Murray McDavid, Chateau Petrus Cask Finish.
Here's a link to some tasting notes and it is worth noting that they also have 6 bottles for sale!
http://www.dandm.com/product_info.php?cPath=101_103_107&products_id=12390&cat=scotch
Apologies if the link to D&M is not allowed.
Cheers.
P.S. First post;)