Laphroaig has brought its 15 Year Old back into the core range, on sale from 29 June 2026 on the distillery’s website after more than a decade away. This is not a limited edition but a permanent return, and it comes with a change: the strength moves up to 46%, above the 43% of the old bottlings.
Release details
The Laphroaig 15 Year Old is priced at £85 in the UK and around $89 in the US. It rejoins the core range alongside the 10 Year Old, the Quarter Cask and the 18 Year Old, so it stays on the shelf year round. Sales opened online on 29 June 2026, with The Whisky Shop as the exclusive stockist from 1 July; other specialist retailers will follow from September 2026.
Maturation and profile
It matures in ex-bourbon American oak casks. The nose opens on citrus, orange zest and grapefruit, with dried hay, vanilla and a hint of clove. The palate leads with sea salt and smoke, then cracked black pepper and warm spice, with a subtle sweetness that the extra years in cask make fuller. The finish is long and smoky, with coastal salinity and a clean, sweet edge.
An expression with history
The 15 Year Old is not new. Laphroaig launched it in 1985, dropped it from the core range in 2009 and since then released it only occasionally, most recently as a limited edition for the 2015 bicentenary. In 1994 Prince Charles, now King Charles III, granted the distillery his Royal Warrant, which still appears on every bottle. The 15 Year Old in particular seems to be his favourite whisky.
For anyone who follows Laphroaig, the return of the 15 Year Old fills the gap between the 10 and the 18 at a price under £90. As a permanent bottling it will remain in the range, so there is no rush: it is already on sale online, with wider shelf distribution following from September 2026.
