Laphroaig distillery manager Barry MacAffer

Islay’s famous Laphroaig single malt Scotch whisky distillery has featured prominently already in this season of Drinks Adventures. Last episode, we heard how Mighty Craft’s head of distilling operations, George Campbell, got his start in the Scotch whisky industry as a tour guide at Laphroaig. And a few more episodes back we met veteran Scotch distiller John McDougall, who was Laphroaig’s distillery manager between 1970 and 1974. Following the departure of John Campbell in 2021 after 25 years at the company, Barry MacAffer was recently confirmed as the distillery manager who will take Laphroaig into a new era. He joins us this episode of the Drinks Adventures podcast, produced in partnership with Laphroaig. You’ll hear a bit about growing up on Islay and how Barry worked his way up to the top job at Laphroaig, where he started on the malt floors in 2011. We explore what makes Laphroaig unique from other distilleries on Islay; how its production has evolved over time; and some of the whiskies that are currently exciting Barry, like the limited release 10YO Cask Strength that I’ve since confirmed will be making its way to Australia in 2023. And then we get on to Laphroaig’s new Taste Trailblazers program, a global celebration of culinary pioneers pushing the boundaries of flavour. Inspired by Islay, Taste Trailblazers captures the stories of global pioneers who take their passion for taste into areas of salt, fire and peat, the elements that underpin Laphroaig’s singular flavour profile. Francis Mallmann – the world-famous Argentinian chef known for his Patagonian open-fire cooking – has been appointed Laphroaig’s Global Taste Trailblazer. You can watch a really cool documentary on the Drinks Adventures website capturing Francis's journey to Islay as he meets the Laphroaig distillery team and other Islay locals, learning about what makes Laphroaig unique and preparing a meal inspired by his experience. The Taste Trailblazers program is coming to Australia in 2023, and this documentary and podcast interview with Barry MacAffer will give you a little preview of what you can expect from these exciting culinary events. First up though, I asked Barry how it felt to join the distinguished line of distillery managers who have passed down Laphroaig’s whisky-making tradition since its beginnings in 1815.