Whisky of the Week: Laphroaig Willem Dafoe Limited Edition

Few things in whisky instantly arouse more skepticism than celebrity-backed bottlings. There have certainly been plenty of misfires over the years, but the quality in this space has vastly improved in recent times—particularly in scotch, where celebrities have been lending their name to some truly great whiskies. Lagavulin hit a home run in its Nick Offerman series, whose Guinness Cask was our 2021 Whisky of the Year, while the Rum Cask release scored 92 points. Scottish actor James Cosmo, best known for his roles in “Game of Thrones” and “Braveheart”, partnered with Lowland distillery Annandale to produce an impressive 92-point blend called Storyman. Just recently, the legendary Harrison Ford joined forces with whisky luminary Dr. Bill Lumsden to create a 93-point Glenmorangie single malt “with bite.” Now, actor Willem Dafoe, famed for his roles in films including “Platoon,” “Spider-Man,” and many others, is joining that list with a new Laphroaig single malt.

The new whisky is simply named Willem By Willem, and its label prominently displays Dafoe’s signature. It has no formal age statement, but is understood to be 14 years old, placing it somewhere in the middle of Laphroaig’s range—older than its core non-age stated releases and flagship 10 year olds, though younger than the 18 year old and 30 year old. Willem By Willem was initially matured in bourbon barrels, then finished for an undisclosed time in oloroso sherry casks, and bottled unfiltered at 53.75% ABV.

Though other Laphroaig bottlings tend to lean more heavily into bourbon barrels, oloroso casks are very much in the mix. That liquid is typically vatted alongside other casks for some core expressions like Oak Select (oloroso, bourbon quarter casks, PX sherry hogsheads, and virgin American oak) and Lore (oloroso, quarter casks, bourbon barrels, and European oak). There’s also the flagship Sherry Oak, which carries a 10-year age statement and is finished in oloroso casks. Oloroso casks feature prominently in several Càirdeas expressions, including 2019’s Triple Wood Cask Strength, 2024’s Cask Favorites, and last year’s Lore Cask Strength. We’ve found that sherry-forward Laphroaigs tend to work quite well, with those three Càirdeas bottlings and Sherry Oak all having scored between 92 and 94 points in our blind tastings.

Je Ne Sais Quoi

Dafoe picked this whisky from a selection of samples alongside Laphroaig senior whisky master Sarah Dowling. Not much more has been disclosed about the selection process, but the brand says that Dafoe went in blind and judged the liquid purely on experiential factors—seeking a certain je ne sais quoi without focusing on specific production methods, tasting notes, or any explanation from Dowling. “I made my final choice based on the whisky that evoked the most curiosity about its taste—something I still can’t put my finger on, but that’s half the fun,” Dafoe explains. “For all who drink it, I hope the whisky will inspire discussion.”

This is the latest chapter in a multi-year partnership between Laphroaig and Dafoe. It all started in September when Dafoe starred in “The Taste,” a short film that aims to describe what the Islay distillery’s famously smoky house style tastes like. As part of that partnership, Dafoe became an official Friend of Laphroaig—a member of the distillery’s global whisky club that famously grants each member their own square-foot plot of land on Islay, and also the namesake of Laphroaig’s annual Càirdeas (Scottish Gaelic for “Friendship”) expression. He’s expected to make another short film with Laphroaig later this year, but this time he’s holding a contest to give one lucky winner the chance to star alongside him. To enter, interested parties need to submit their own tasting notes for Willem By Willem in some creative format—a poem, dance routine, short film, photograph, musical number, art piece, or other artistic endeavor—with the most “original” entry winning the role. Full details on the terms and conditions can be found online.

How Does Laphroaig Willem By Willem Taste?

93 points—Laphroaig Willem By Willem Limited Edition Islay Single Malt

ABV: 53.7%
SRP: $156
Availability: Limited

This whisky evokes strong, familiar memories of a summer barbecue by the seaside. The nose offers a decent amount of peat, which shows up as wood-fired grill smoke, brisket, oyster shells, and sea salt, alongside baked berries, torched brown sugar, caramel, and a hint of marmalade. The palate is rich with burnt ends, pork belly, espresso, tiramisu, Whoppers, and more mouthwatering smoke. These flavors linger on the long finish, which gracefully fades out on a very pleasant woody barbecue flavor similar to mesquite.