The favourite tipple of the future king
306 views · Published 19 November 2018 · 6:51 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(14 Nov 2018) LEADIN: Prince Charles is about to celebrate his 70th birthday - possibly with a tipple of his favourite whisky. The Scottish distillery that manufactures it says the heir to the throne insists on traditional and sustainable methods in order for them to keep the royal seal of approval. STORYLINE It's the only whisky distillery in the United Kingdom to have earned a Royal Warrant after its production methods won the heart and palate of The Prince of Wales. Now, as Prince Charles celebrates his 70th birthday on November 14, Laphroaig distillery is paying tribute to the next in line to the British throne for his commitment to tradition in the whisky production process. Prince Charles has visited the distillery three times on the Isle of Islay, a remote island with a population of 3,000, off the west coast of Scotland. Arthur Holyoake, a maltman at Laphroaig distillery, one of nine on the Isle of Islay, says the Prince has emphasised the importance of traditional methods in the whisky production process in each of his three visits to the operation. Prince Charles even took a turn at turning barley during his visit to the distillery, a vital stage of the whisky production process. "Oh it was a pleasure to meet him. He was an absolute gentleman. And he was very much into tradition. He wanted things to remain as they are and as they were. He was very much a traditional man. He actually had a go at this himself and actually did a pretty fine job. If he was looking for another job I'm sure this would be well up on top of his to do list. He's a very nice man. Gentleman." It was the Laphroaig distillery's traditional approach that won the Prince of Wales' admiration and earned it the right to display the royal seal of approval on all of their bottles. Vicky Stevens, the manager of the Laphroaig distillery visitor centre, says the prince first visited the distillery in 1994. He was impressed with the company's commitment to protecting the environment and uplifting the local community and so granted Laphroaig the right to use the royal seal of approval. "In 1994 the distillery was very privileged to receive a visit from Prince Charles," Steven says. "In that year, it was the year we were honoured with his royal warrant, so his seal of approval in what we're doing here at the distillery. And to that end we are allowed to show his feathers on every single bottle that we have, which is a real great accolade for us. "Now since then we have to keep reapplying and keep showing we are meeting the criteria that he sets down to maintain that royal warrant. The kind of things that he looks at or the kind of things that Prince Charles considers really highly are environmental topics. So he wants to see what you're doing to improve your impact on the environment. He wants to see what you're doing to become more sustainable. And he also wants to see how philanthropic you are. So how you are supporting your community and your charity groups around you." Prince Charles has visited the distillery on two more occasions since 1994. His last visit was for Laphroaig's bi-centenary in 2015. "Since 1994 he has paid a return visit to the distillery twice," Stevens says. "He came back in 2008 and then he came back in 2015 to celebrate with us our bi-centenary, so our 200 years old and he opened our cairn and Friends of Laphroaig field." Stevens says various methods in the production process make Laphroaig's whiskey distinct from others. The first is floor maltings which has been in use for more than 100 years, turning barley into malt on a very hand crafted way. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/73ff20adf8c856a5c18cc7f7f88363d7
