Lagavulin Distillery
On the Isle of Islay is the Lagavulin Bay from which the Lagavulin quite obviously has its name. The distillery is as close to the water as possible, and adhering to the Islay ways Lagavulin produces smoky, peaty single malt whiskies of great quality. The Lagavulin collection is small (all is relative), but its expressions are powerful, wide-ranging and leave a definite impression.
The Lagavulin Distillery is a subsidiary distiller under the Diageo umbrella. As such, Lagavulin offers the craftsmanship from a small and old distillery under the wings of a respected and well-connected producer – two worlds merging into bottles of exceptional whisky.
Whisky from the Hebrides is often recognized by the clear presence of peat smoke, and Lagavulin single malt is undoubtedly known by just that along with complex flavors. With 200+ years of accumulated experience, Lagavulin is characterized by underlining passion, skills as well as heritage.
The quantity-small, but quality extensive collection boasts of the following releases:
- Lagavulin 8 Years OldLagavulin 12 Years Old 2014
- Lagavulin 12 Years Old 2015
- Lagavulin 12-Year-Old 200th Anniversary
- Lagavulin 16 Years Old
- Lagavulin Distillers Edition
- Lagavulin 25 Years Old
Lagavulin Distillers Edition isn’t one kind of single malt. Under this name, several versions have been released as example the 2001 Distiller Edition, which was bottled in 2017 and is, therefore, a 16-year-old 2001 vintage. The 2002 Distiller Edition was equally bottled 16 years before bottling when released in 2018.
While each release is unique in its expression, they generally share the distinctively rich and smoky qualities as well as the impact of peat in both nose and palate. The releases under the Distiller Edition name have all been secondly matured in Pedro Ximénez casks, which naturally influence the whisky’s character prominently.
As a bicentenary limited release Lagavulin 25 Years Old was created in honour 200 years worth of distillery managers. As the whisky accurately indicates this expression was bottled after 25 years of maturation – in a total of 8,000 bottles. Lagavulin 25 Years Old displays a well-balanced array of notes of ripe fruits, sweet cereals, fresh mint with peaty and meat notes in the forefront of the smoke-blackened flavour profile.
Even the long and smooth finish gives the lucky taster a multi-layered experience with first notes of honey, then fragrant, smoky wood, ash and salt and a bit of heat. A cooling feeling of eucalyptus follows the chilli-notes, and then bittersweet and oily orange peels finish the finish off in a most delicious and satisfactory linger.
In 2016 the distillery celebrated their bicentennial anniversary with the release of Lagavulin 12-Year-Old 200th Anniversary. It commemorates the distillery’s impressive lifespan with a classic expression celebrating the smoky and peaty characteristics, which are the signature to both Lagavulin as well as the Isle of Islay.
The celebratory release is pure and beautifully balanced, oily and bittersweet, where the nose is greeted directly by smoked peat followed by a cleaner, citrusy notes, and the palate experiences a smooth and sweet with an initial note of chocolate and subsequent warm notes of mint, cereal and volcanic smoke.
The flavour profile then goes cool and oily with a honeyed sweetness and a bit of salt. The experience is highly aromatic with a thorough influence of the wood, and in its finish, the sensation also interchanges between warming to cooling. When all is said and done – or drunk and swallowed - Lagavulin 12-Year-Old 200th Anniversary leaves you with a smoky palate, making sure to leave an association to the traditional and classic Islay single malts.
At the Forefront of Whisky History
Scotch couldn’t be more Scottish. Through centuries whisky has been a vital part of Scottish culture and identity, and of course, laws have had a great influence on the production of whisky.
The science of distillation first hit the British shores in the 12th century, and it had a steady popularity rate, eventually making ‘water of life’ (uisge beatha) a most desired drink among the people.
Throughout the 17th and 18th century taxes were invoked and changes such as The Act of Union happened and changed the fabric of clan-cultured Scotland, which made distillers go underground and produce illegally. In the middle of all of this Lagavulin began existing.
The distillery first began operating in 1742, and for 74 years it functioned as all other whisky distillers: for about 15o years whisky was smuggled and hidden. Small stills were clandestinely hidden among the Glens, and sales and transport were organised using coded language and also employing church ministers to store and transport the goods. It’s estimated that more than half of consumed whisky was without payment of duty in the 1820s.
Lagavulin became one of the first distilleries to become a legal producer in 1816, which makes it at the forefront of a coming paradigm shift in 1823 with the passing of the Excise Act, which essentially created an industry overnight – on the back of the illegal business run covertly for centuries.
Today Lagavulin is presided by Distillery Manager Colin Gordon, and as a whisky brand, Lagavulin has garnered a lot of respect both by consumers and experts.
Lagavulin has an impressive presence within popular culture. Among its cameos are for instance mentions in The West Wing, 28 Days Later, The Millennium film series and Fear The Walking Dead. This signifies a high level of visibility, but also an acknowledgement of quality, sophistication and brand recognition.
Lagavulin single malts have definitely earned a place on the whisky shelf of every collector – not because it’s Ron Swansson’s preferred drink in the American cult series, Park and Recreation, but because Lagavulin possesses the best peated single malts the Isle of Islay has to offer.