There are certain collaborations that make immediate, obvious sense — a peated Islay whisky and one of cinema's most genuinely unconventional actors. Willem Dafoe has built a 45-year career on choosing roles that refuse easy categorization: Platoon, Shadow of the Vampire, The Florida Project, At Eternity's Gate, Poor Things. He has played Christ, the Devil, Van Gogh, a vampire, and a lighthouse keeper. He collects no trophies for ordinariness. Laphroaig has been making whisky on the south coast of Islay since 1815 and has spent most of those two centuries making a whisky that most people describe as intensely polarizing — iodine, peat smoke, medicinal TCP, and sea salt in a combination that inspires either lifelong devotion or permanent avoidance. There are no casual Laphroaig fans. That is the point.

"Willem by Willem" was created in a manner that is itself unconventional. Dafoe and Senior Whisky Maker Sarah Dowling selected the whisky by sampling multiple casks with no tasting notes, no technical guidance, and no expectations — choosing purely on the basis of what made Dafoe's "tastebuds and curiosity come alive the most." The distillery then released the bottle with deliberately minimal official tasting notes — "peat, sea salt, long finish" — and invited drinkers to submit their own interpretations in any creative medium. Poems. Sketches. Short films. The most original interpretation wins the chance to co-star in a Laphroaig short film with Dafoe himself.

The whisky itself is 14 years old — matured in classic American oak ex-bourbon barrels for 14 years before finishing in hand-selected Oloroso sherry casks. Bottled at 53.7% ABV — 107.4 proof — without dilution or apology. Retailer tasting notes describe sweet pea, jasmine, burnt caramel, menthol, seaweed, campfire smoke, muscovado sugar, salted caramel, and coffee grounds. What Dafoe himself experiences when he drinks it, he has left for others to discover. "For me, when I sip 'Willem by Willem' I experience…you tell me."

Origins & Craftsmanship

Laphroaig Distillery was founded in 1815 by brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston on the south coast of Islay — the most celebrated peat-producing island in Scotland, whose unique combination of Atlantic-washed peat bogs, maritime air, and the mineral character of Islay spring water creates a whisky character that the entire industry acknowledges cannot be replicated anywhere else. The name Laphroaig derives from the Gaelic Loch Laomainn a' Bhruthaich — "the beautiful hollow by the broad bay" — a landscape of stark, windswept beauty whose character is inseparable from the spirit it produces.

Laphroaig's production begins with the peat. The distillery is one of only a handful in Scotland that still malts a proportion of its own barley on-site, drying it over locally cut Islay peat fires for 18 hours — long enough to achieve the heavily peated specification (approximately 40–45 PPM) that defines the house style and produces the characteristic iodine, antiseptic, and medicinal qualities that are Laphroaig's most immediately recognizable aromatic signature. The heavily peated wash is then distilled through Laphroaig's characteristic spirit still profile — tall with a descending lyne arm, producing a lighter new-make spirit than the descending arm's geometry would suggest — before entering American oak ex-bourbon barrels for the primary maturation.

"Willem by Willem" matures for 14 years in those American oak ex-bourbon barrels — building the vanilla, toffee, and citrus framework beneath the heavy peat smoke — before entering hand-selected Oloroso sherry casks for the finishing period. The Oloroso sherry casks introduce dark dried fruit richness, muscovado sugar sweetness, and a deep, slightly nutty complexity from the oxidized sherry compounds absorbed into the oak during their Jerez seasoning. The interaction between Laphroaig's powerful medicinal peat and the Oloroso sherry's dried fruit depth produces the layered, complex profile that Dafoe described simply as the whisky that made his curiosity come alive the most. Bottled at 53.7% ABV — 107.4 proof — preserving the full intensity of both the 14-year primary maturation and the Oloroso finishing character. Limited edition. Global availability in selected markets while stocks last.

Critics Reviews

Laphroaig and Willem Dafoe deliberately released "Willem by Willem" without official tasting notes — an artistic decision that invites each drinker to form and share their own interpretation. The brand's own product page lists only: "peat, sea salt, long finish."

Selfridges and Whisky International retailer tasting notes describe: "sweet pea, jasmine, burnt caramel, menthol, seaweed, campfire smoke, muscovado sugar, salted caramel, coffee grounds."

Laphroaig's 10 Year Old Sherry Oak expression — the closest production reference for the sherry cask finishing philosophy — has been described as delivering "rich, full flavours of honey, smoky bacon and maple syrup along with the classic smoke, seaweed and salt that Laphroaig is known for — the finish is long and harmonious."

No widely published numeric scores from Whisky Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, or Decanter are available for this specific release.

Tasting Profile

Nose What happens to 14 years of Islay peat smoke when Oloroso sherry is introduced into the equation is the question this expression answers — and the answer is not what standard peated Scotch prepares you for. Sweet pea and jasmine lift the nose with a delicacy and floral grace that is entirely unexpected from a distillery whose signature is medicinal intensity — the Oloroso cask's sweetness creating a counterweight to the smoke that opens the aromatic picture rather than suppressing it. Seaweed and the characteristic Laphroaig iodine note sit beneath the floral opening — present, unmistakable, and as much a part of the south Islay coastline as the sea itself. Campfire smoke rises through the middle of the nose — not the industrial antiseptic smoke of younger Laphroaig, but something more settled and warmer after 14 years of integration. Burnt caramel and muscovado sugar add a dark, slightly bittersweet confectionary dimension from the Oloroso finishing. Menthol adds a cool, slightly medicinal thread alongside salted caramel — sweet and maritime simultaneously. Coffee grounds emerge with air, adding depth and roasted complexity. The 53.7% ABV concentrates every element without introducing harshness.

Palate The full weight of 14 years at Laphroaig and the Oloroso finish arrives together at first sip — bold, complex, and impossible to categorize simply. The peat smoke is present but changed from its younger form: deeper, earthier, and more integrated rather than front-facing in the manner of the standard 10 Year Old. Muscovado sugar and salted caramel dominate the entry — the Oloroso sherry's most direct palate contribution, rich, dark, and deeply sweet against the smoky foundation. Campfire smoke builds through the mid-palate alongside dried dark fruits — the sherry cask's dried raisin and plum character arriving behind the caramel sweetness. Burnt caramel and coffee grounds add roasted depth. A menthol thread provides cool, slightly herbal relief from the smoke and sweetness. The 53.7% proof delivers genuine warmth and intensity — coating, present, and carrying every flavor note clearly. Jasmine and sweet pea — the nose's most unexpected elements — return faintly mid-palate as a reminder that this is not simply a heavy, peated Scotch but something more textured and more personal.

Finish Long — the distillery's own description is correct and the most important thing to know. Peat smoke and sea salt carry the close with Laphroaig's characteristic persistence — these are compounds that simply do not leave quickly, and after 14 years in good wood they have the structural depth to sustain themselves well past the swallow. Salted caramel and a whisper of dried fruit linger from the Oloroso alongside the smoke. A subtle medicinal quality — the iodine and TCP that define Laphroaig's identity — carries through to the very end as the whisky's most fundamental and most irreducible signature. What the finish communicates most clearly is that this is unmistakably Laphroaig — the sherry finishing has added depth and sweetness and complexity, but it has not changed what Dafoe described as the whisky's fundamental character. Bold. Entirely open to interpretation.

Quick Overview

Category	Details
ABV / Proof	53.7% ABV / 107.4 Proof
Age Statement	14 Years
Distillery	Laphroaig Distillery (est. 1815) — Isle of Islay, Scotland
Owner	Suntory / Beam Suntory
Collaboration	Willem Dafoe — Friend of Laphroaig since September 2025
Whisky Maker	Sarah Dowling — Senior Whisky Maker
Selection Method	Blind — no tasting notes, no guidance, chosen purely on personal response
Primary Maturation	14 years — American oak ex-bourbon barrels
Finishing Cask	Hand-selected Oloroso sherry casks
Peat Level	Approximately 40–45 PPM — Laphroaig house specification
Release Type	Global limited edition — selected retailers while stocks last
Official Tasting Notes	Deliberately minimal: peat, sea salt, long finish
Retailer Tasting Notes	Sweet pea, jasmine, burnt caramel, menthol, seaweed, campfire smoke, muscovado sugar, salted caramel, coffee grounds
Style / Identity	Heavy Islay peat, Oloroso sherry finish — medicinal smoke meets dried fruit sweetness
Bottle Size	700ml
Campaign	Creative competition — submit a poem, sketch, film or performance inspired by the whisky to co-star with Dafoe in a Laphroaig short film

Serving & Occasion

Laphroaig's own recommendation is neat — "best enjoyed neat, allowing its full character to come through exactly as intended." At 53.7% ABV, a few drops of still water is genuinely recommended: the smoke, caramel, and jasmine elements open considerably with dilution and the menthol and floral notes become more defined. A single large ice cube will mute the smoke significantly and is not recommended for anyone who wants the full Dafoe-selected experience. The campaign's invitation — to drink the whisky and respond with a creative interpretation in any medium — makes this the most genuinely participatory bottle in the Blackwell's range. An exceptional gifting bottle for Laphroaig devotees, Islay whisky enthusiasts, admirers of Willem Dafoe's work, and anyone who finds the idea of a whisky that comes without instructions more interesting than one that doesn't.

Cocktail Suggestions

The whisky's own campaign and Sarah Dowling's words — "neat, with water, or in a cocktail" — explicitly invite all three. The 53.7% ABV holds its character completely through cocktail builds:

Islay Penicillin (the natural home for heavily peated Laphroaig) 2 oz blended Scotch · ¾ oz fresh lemon juice · ¾ oz honey-ginger syrup · ¼ oz Laphroaig Willem by Willem floated on top. Shaken over ice, served in a rocks glass with the Laphroaig floated last. The medicinal smoke and salted caramel of the Willem by Willem arrive on the nose with every sip over the lighter blended Scotch base — creating the Penicillin's most dramatically divided flavor experience.

Smoky Negroni 1 oz Laphroaig Willem by Willem · 1 oz Campari · 1 oz sweet vermouth · orange twist. Stirred over ice, served in a rocks glass. The Oloroso sherry finishing makes the Willem by Willem an unusually natural Negroni ingredient — the dried fruit and muscovado sugar bridging Campari's bitterness and vermouth's botanical sweetness with the peat smoke adding a dimension no standard gin delivers.

Islay Old Fashioned 2 oz Laphroaig Willem by Willem · 1 tsp Demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. Stirred over a large ice rock. The minimal Old Fashioned format lets the 14-year Oloroso complexity and peat smoke speak clearly — the orange peel amplifying the jasmine and sweet pea floral notes on the nose.

Laphroaig Single Malt Whisky

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Laphroaig Willem by Willem Dafoe 14 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml