Laphroaig is once again putting Islay’s smoky character at the centre of the conversation with the launch of a limited edition developed in collaboration with Willem Dafoe. The range, named ‘Willem by Willem’, is being rolled out across the global travel retail channel, with an initial launch at London Heathrow Airport and a subsequent rollout planned for other major international hubs, at a recommended retail price of $142.
Beyond the obvious appeal of bringing together a powerfully distinctive Scotch single malt and one of contemporary cinema’s most recognisable actors, the project stands out for an unusual choice: doing away with official tasting notes. Rather than guiding consumers with fixed descriptors, the brand presents the whisky as an open experience, shaped by the interpretation of whoever tastes it.
An Islay single malt designed to spark conversation
Laphroaig belongs to that select group of distilleries whose style is almost instantly recognisable. Located on the island of Islay, off Scotland’s west coast, the house has built its identity around peated, saline and medicinal whiskies, with a smoky presence that tends to divide opinion: some fall for it on the first dram, while others need time to understand it.
That polarising nature is precisely one of the brand’s strengths. In a market where many single malts pursue softer, more approachable profiles, Laphroaig continues to champion an intense personality. The collaboration with Dafoe fits neatly into that narrative: an actor associated with complex roles, often far from the conventional, and a whisky that rarely goes unnoticed.
According to information shared by the brand, the selection of this expression was made together with Sarah Dowling, Senior Whisky Maker at Laphroaig. The choice was not framed around a public technical sheet of aromas and flavours, but around the curiosity the sample inspired and its ability to provoke a personal reaction.
The absence of tasting notes as a statement
In the world of whisky, tasting notes serve a useful purpose: they help place a spirit, suggest aromas, anticipate textures and guide the buyer. However, they can also shape the experience in advance. When a label states that a whisky recalls leather, cold ash, nuts or orange marmalade, the consumer tends to look for those nuances before even listening to their own perception.
Willem by Willem plays with the opposite idea. The campaign is inspired by the cinematic expression “no notes”, used when a performance is considered so complete that it needs no further direction. Applied to whisky, the concept suggests an unscripted tasting: to try, discuss and build one’s own reading.
For a brand such as Laphroaig, this decision makes sense. Its smoky malts often generate highly personal, sometimes even contradictory descriptions. Islay peat may evoke embers, iodine, seaweed, charred wood, spices or coastal memories, but the way each drinker translates those sensations depends on their taste memory and their previous relationship with whisky.
What has been confirmed is that ‘Willem by Willem’ is a 14-year-old, 53.7% ABV whisky finished in casks that previously held Oloroso sherry.
The role of travel retail in whisky launches
The airport channel has become a strategic showcase for major spirits houses. It is not just about selling bottles to travellers, but about building brand experiences in spaces with high international footfall. In the case of Scotch whiskies, travel retail makes it possible to present special editions, exclusive formats or immersive campaigns to a global audience ready for discovery.
The first stop for Willem by Willem has been designed in Heathrow Terminal 5, one of the key hubs of European air traffic. The activation includes campaign visuals, prominent product placement and a dedicated area to connect with fans of smoky whisky.
One of the campaign’s most recognisable elements is the invitation to join the Friends of Laphroaig community, a long-standing distillery initiative that allows followers to symbolically identify with a small plot of land on Islay. In the airport setting, the brand recreates that connection through an interactive activation featuring peat and personalised flags, a simple way to bring the island’s imagery into an international retail space.
Laphroaig, peat and brand culture
Laphroaig’s strength lies not only in its organoleptic profile, but also in the culture it has built around it. The distillery has turned its difference into a language of its own: peat, sea air, medicinal character and aromatic force are not overly softened, but proudly embraced.
This positioning has helped its whiskies resonate particularly well with consumers looking for more than an easy-drinking dram. Laphroaig is often a turning point in the journey of many single malt enthusiasts: the moment when whisky stops being understood solely as cereal sweetness and oak, and moves into smokier, saline and earthier territory.
In this context, a limited edition associated with a cultural figure such as Willem Dafoe is not seen merely as a celebrity marketing exercise. The key question is whether the collaboration strengthens the brand’s narrative. And here, the campaign’s approach —ambiguity, interpretation, debate— feels consistent with a whisky that has always sparked conversation.
How to approach a whisky without prior guidance
The absence of official tasting notes does not prevent an orderly tasting. On the contrary, it can be a good opportunity to sharpen perception without relying on external descriptors. To approach an Islay single malt with an open mind, it is worth keeping a few basic gestures in mind:
- Taste it neat first, in a suitable glass and without rushing, to observe its aromatic intensity.
- Add a few drops of water if the alcohol strength calls for it or if you want to open up the aromatic profile.
- Avoid looking for “the right answer”: in whisky, two tasters may perceive different nuances and both can be right.
- Pay attention to its evolution, as peated malts can change noticeably after a few minutes in the glass.
- Share impressions, especially with expressions designed to encourage debate.
It can also be enjoyed in cocktails, although with whiskies of such pronounced personality it is best to choose recipes that respect their structure. A Highball with chilled soda, a Penicillin or smoky variations on classics can work well if you are looking for a less contemplative experience.
An edition that reinforces the value of interpretation
Willem by Willem arrives at a time when premium whisky competes not only on quality, but also on storytelling. Limited editions need more than a striking label: they must offer a reason to be remembered. In this case, Laphroaig chooses to hand part of the narrative over to the consumer, something unusual in a sector accustomed to describing every aroma and every nuance with precision.
The collaboration with Willem Dafoe adds visibility, but the real interest of the release lies in the question it raises: to what extent do words shape the way we taste? For Laphroaig followers, the answer will probably be found in the glass, among the smoke, the peat and that coastal intensity that has made the distillery one of Scotland’s most distinctive voices.