INSIDE LAPHROAIG: A CHAT WITH SARAH DOWLING, SENIOR WHISKY MAKER

Daryl interviews Sarah Dowling, lead whisky maker at Laphroaig, tracing her path from a genetics and environmental background to a 2012 Edrington recycling contract that turned into a long whisky career via sensory panels, Diageo, and nearly seven years at Cooley in Ireland (working on Connemara and other releases, and even managing the site). She discusses how her palate evolved from missing vanilla to treating smoke as a “neutral,” and how collaborative tasting works best when nobody gets told what they “should” taste. Sarah explains the organic Willem Dafoe collaboration (the “Unforgettable” campaign), built from pilot blends, repeated tastings, and an Oloroso-driven 14-year whisky bottled at 53.7% with rich texture. For Fèis Ìle’s 40th anniversary, Laphroaig’s Càirdeas is fully matured in French oak, noted for Lapsang souchong-like smoke and melon notes, and Sarah previews interactive Laphroaig Day tastings, parties, and Friends of Laphroaig camaraderie.00:00 Welcome Sarah Dowling01:09 From Sustainability to Whisky02:59 Discovering Sensory Panels07:03 Finding Flavor Blind Spots11:53 Irish Whiskey Calling16:41 Life at Cooley Distillery17:55 Full Time Blender Role18:36 Willem Dafoe Collaboration20:34 Building the Oloroso Blend23:47 First Tastes and Bold Character24:28 Bold New Release25:07 Willem Gets It26:17 On Set Inspiration29:05 Friends And Festivals30:40 French Oak Cairdeas31:58 Tasting Notes Tea Smoke35:51 Feis Ile Tastings38:04 Friends Stories And FarewellHosted by Mitch Bechard and Daz Haldane, this is where the whisky world gets pulled apart properly, with stories, insights, and the occasional bit of chaos along the way.🥃 New episodes every week(ish)🎤 Live shows & tastings across Scotland🎟️ Web: www.notanotherwhiskypodcast.com📩 Enquiries & partnerships: whiskypodcast@gmail.com📲 Follow us on InstagramSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/not-another-whisky-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.