20 years Friend of Laphroaig

Islay Whisky News & LinksThis is a post I wanted to write almost a month ago, unfortunately then my leg injury got in the way. Recovery is now well under way (this morning I walked 3 kilometres in I think just over half an hour) and I think I can allow myself a wee dram tonight. With that over to the real topic, one of the many factors which brought me to Islay and made me fall in love with it:

Scan of Armin Grewe's Friends of Laphroaig certificate
My original Friends of Laphroaig certificate from March 1998, a few months before I first set foot on Islay in August 1998

Earlier this year I came across my original Friends of Laphroaig certificate. I bought my first bottle of Laphroaig whisky (the standard 10yo, an expression I still enjoy regularly) in early 1998 and duly sent in my claim for my square foot of Islay. A few weeks later my certificate arrived. Iain Henderson was the distillery manager back then (he retired in 2002), so it is signed by him.

A few months later, on a rather wet August morning, I arrived on Islay for my first visit. The first distillery I visited was of course Laphroaig. There was no visitor centre back then, as far as I can remember I found the way to the reception where someone welcomed me and found a miniature bottle for my annual rent for me.

All of this is now 20 years ago (or will soon be), so with a month delay I’m going to open a bottle of Laphroaig Cairdeas tonight for a wee dram to celebrate being a Friend of Laphroaig for 20 years.

Author: Armin Grewe

I blog about Islay.

30 thoughts on “20 years Friend of Laphroaig”

  1. I also have a sq. Foot of bogland and am planning to arrive in Aug. (from Pacific N.W.) to collect my rent. I look forward to a tour of Laphroaig and seeing your beautiful island. By the way, I did not get a certificate. How can I get one?

    Reply

    1. If you’re registered on the website I think you can download your certificate there.

      But probably even better, I’m pretty sure you can print one (or get one printed by the staff) at the Laphroaig distillery visitor centre on Islay.

      Reply

  6. Looks like they must of – mine was registered just six-weeks earlier 06/01/97 (37232). That’s pretty good going – more than six thousand in less than two months! I wonder who has plot #1?

    Reply

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