🥃 Lagavulin

Lagavulin is a distillery and brand of single malt Scotch whisky in Lagavulin Bay on the south coast of the island of Islay, about two miles from Port Ellen. According to the producer, it was founded in 1816 by John Johnston, and its whiskies are known for an intensely smoky, deeply peated character; the core expression is the 16-year-old at 43% ABV. The distillery belongs to the British company Diageo.

Distilling in this bay began before the legal distillery: the producer says records suggest illicit distilling as far back as the 1740s, and that the distillery was officially founded in 1816 by John Johnston. The peat comes from the nearby Port Ellen maltings and gives the whisky its smoky flavour. The producer describes one of the slowest distillation processes in Scotland, in pear-shaped stills.

Lagavulin is made under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009. A Single Malt Scotch Whisky is distilled at a single distillery from water and malted barley, without other cereals, in pot stills; it is matured only in oak casks of no more than 700 litres, only in Scotland, for at least three years. Islay is a protected locality, so the name may be used only for whisky distilled on the island. An age on the label refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle.

The range: according to the producer, the 16-year-old is aged in oak casks for at least 16 years and bottled at 43% ABV. The Distillers Edition is double-matured in ex-bodega Pedro Ximénez casks, also at 43% ABV. The producer also releases limited editions.

Why this matters to you. Lagavulin is a whisky with powerful peat smoke, so if you are new to peated Scotch it is better to start with a small measure. The Distillers Edition has a sweeter profile, which the producer describes as an intense raisiny sweetness. Strength differs between editions, so look at the percentage on the label. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.