Willem Dafoe and Laphroaig Collaborate on New Scotch Whisky
Laphroaig, one of Islay’s most distinctive distilleries, has announced a bold new collaboration with award-winning actor Willem Dafoe. Known for his intense and unconventional roles, Dafoe now lends his creative flair to the whisky world in a partnership that highlights both artistry and heritage.
The project, expected to debut as a limited-edition release next year, was developed in close collaboration with Laphroaig’s senior blender, Sarah Dowling. Dafoe participated in blind tastings and creative sessions to help shape the whisky’s profile, ensuring it reflects both Laphroaig’s unmistakable smoky character and his own sense of storytelling.
The partnership is part of Laphroaig’s “Unphorgettable” campaign, celebrating the brand’s reputation for polarizing, unforgettable flavors. Dafoe, who describes the whisky as “like kissing a mermaid in a rocky rowboat on a lively sea,” brings a cinematic perspective to capturing Laphroaig’s maritime peat smoke and briny complexity.
To introduce the collaboration, Dafoe stars in The Taste, a short film directed by Tim Pope, famed for iconic music videos with The Cure and David Bowie. The film explores Dafoe’s attempt to translate Laphroaig’s enigmatic flavor into words, while also featuring descriptions from the Friends of Laphroaig community.
Dafoe’s connection with Laphroaig goes back nearly fifty years, when he first discovered the whisky in New York during the 1970s. Now, as both an ambassador and collaborator, he continues to celebrate the distillery’s legacy of boldness and individuality.
With this release, Laphroaig reinforces its reputation as a whisky that embraces character, controversy, and creativity—just like Willem Dafoe himself.
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