Why's it always Willem Dafoe, and never Willem Dafriend?
After all, it appears that in a surprise twist of fate, the legendary actor seems to be the chosen one to have broken the mold on finally headlining a celebrity collaboration whisky that everyone can and does get behind! That's a tall order given that most whisky folks have a natural skepticism for the anything that might come off as non-distillate driven pomp and circumstance. That all is to say, celebrity collabs don't typically get to be perceived well, but with Laphroaig's new Willem Dafoe Edition it actually appears to be working! Who knew the man had such suasion!
Fun Fact: Willem Dafoe (whose real name is in fact William) is the only actor to have ever received an Academy Award nomination for playing a vampire - Dafoe played Max Schrek in Shadow of the Vampire (2000).
And so with Dafoe the newly appointed ambassador for Laphroaig just late last year in 2025, the beloved Islay distillery has thus been the works of rolling out its Unphorgettable campaign (the "f" here is replaced with "ph" which is Laphroaig's call sign). The crux of the campaign is rooted in how drinkers find it difficult to encapsulate what Laphroaig's famously peaty whisky tastes like, and thus circles around the concept of allowing fans (and would-be fans) to describe Laphroaig in their own unique way, without the distillery imposing upon its own tasting notes - and hence the emphasis on "no notes" (that is, no tasting notes). Dafoe's part in this then is his role in Laphroaig's new short film, "The Taste", where Dafoe asks for your notes, and goes on to have real fans from the Friends of Laphroaig community submit their tasting notes, which are then turned into "Taste Characters", which includes angels, a donkey, wolves and swirling waves, which are all descriptors used by Laphroaig's fans to describe its whisky. It's a very engaging and entertaining short film, and Dafoe nails it in his signature edgy fashion.
But that's not all, Dafoe also gets to have a bottling dedicated to him (nicknamed "Willem by Willem"), in which he was allowed to choose the whisky alongside Laphroaig's whiskymaker Sarah Dowling, having been offered no tasting notes from the distillery, and thus was asked to simply pick what he liked based on his own personal instinct, curiosity and sensation. The result of which is a 14 Year Old Laphroaig that's aged in ex-Bourbon with a 9 month finish in Oloroso Sherry casks.
So going back to the grand question - why does Dafoe's endorsement of Laphroaig work? Perhaps its the Wisconsin native actor's distinctiveness and wily charm, or maybe it's because his grandmother is Scottish. There's of course a sense of somewhat peculiar resonance shared between Dafoe and Laphroaig, both somewhat straightfaced and equally as complex, always this sense of there being more under the surface and never quite knowing what to expect. It's a most unassuming - if not brooding - kind of enigmatic unpredictability. Or maybe we just love Sherry on Laphroaig. Let's just call it both.
With that said, let's give it a go!
Whisky Review: Willem Dafoe Edition Laphroaig 14 Years Old, 53.7% ABV (Willem by Willem)
Aged In Ex-Bourbon American Oak, Finished For 9 Months In Oloroso Sherry Casks.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Dark Amber
Aroma: Opens immediately smoky, with lush plumes of charcoal embers, already a tinge medicinal of iodine and bandaids, certainly mentholated, with also that coastal whiff of sea spray and fresh kelp. There's a little bit more of an industrial quality to it, with tyre rubber and tar, almost alittle bit burnt and higher toned but more viscous. As the BBQ smoke lets up, there's a richer layer of melted butter grilled peaches, roasted brazil nuts coaxed in honey, with a slight umaminess of bouillon cubes and a touch of teriyaki sauce. Flecks of burnt lemon too, almost sweet and zesty at once. There's then that deeper richness of cooked down cherries, plums and prunes, blackberries, with dried redcurrants and raisins too, alongside some walnuts over swaths of caramel and chocolate sauce. This is wrapped up in a rackhouse mustiness, with a slight sharpness of cedar and pine, altogether a good bit richer and rounder.
Taste: Medium-bodied, it's immediately spicy and peppery, which then eases up to the signature sootiness, ash, touch of iodine and sea spray, with an oiliness of smoked mackerel and kelp. There's a slight bitterness and medicinal quality that is rounded out by the richer sweetness of dried fruits of raisins, plums, prunes, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries and hawthorn that's mixed in with some honey and caramel. It's well spiced with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, dark chocolate nibs, chewy black licorice, with then a damp earthiness of wet moss, soaked forest floors and burnt wood in the rain, as well as a side of salted honeyed cashews. Also a savoury umaminess of teriyaki meats and burnt ends, with the body outlined by a light but brighter lemon zestiness together with cooked vine leaves. Bits of candied apricots, peaches and pineapples reside around the mid-palate. The body has an oiliness about it that is concentrated yet the light rancio gives it an almost polished sheen of umaminess that almost counteracts its richness.
Finish: It carries through the finish mentholated and spicy, really lively and energizing, with the rush of tart dried red currants blending in with the smouldering ashiness and honey. Coastal sea spray, iodine and grilled mackerel with a wedge of lemon work through the long finish. A deeper richness from the strawberry and blackberry bramble jams, chewy dark licorice and mulberry leaves, with a little bit of charred oak and orangettes linger on. Also some leather, tobacco and cigarboxes still with that mintiness.
My Thoughts
A really punchy and flavour packed expression that comes with a nice richness that anchors the entire experience, making for such a delightful sip. The classic Laphroaig bits are all here, with then the Sherry always following closely behind, cusping it and beefing it up so nicely. The peatiness here comes through evocative yet at the same time rather controlled, where it almost feels like it's engulfing you yet quite gently so, with the bitterness very tastefully included to balance out the richness. Ultimately, this strikes me as being precisely true to what it calls itself to be, with three parts Laphroaig and one part Sherry, a clean and direct sensibility where it's checking all of the boxes, although sparing on any little quirks (or inversely, any flaws) that might possibly make it alittle more endearing and characterful. It's tasty and it's as it says it is, but not more or less than that. An altogether solid Laphroaig that's well executed and punches above the distillery's core range.
PS. It's richer and with more body and development compared to the Laphroaig 10 Year Old Sherry Oak Finish!
Kanpai!
@111hotpot
