| Region of production: | Islay |
| Distillery Location: | Port Ellen, Argyll and Bute |
| Year Established: | 1816 |
Top Spirits Produced
- Core Range:
- 12, 16 Years Old
- Distillers Edition
- Limited Releases:
- 8, 12, 25 Years Old
- 1991 Single Cask
Average Total Production
- 2.53 million liters neutral spirit before aging
Summary
Lagavulin is believed to be among the oldest distilleries on Islay. John Johnston founded the first legal distillery on the property in 1816. The next year, another distillery called Malt Mill was established on the property, later to be incorporated into the Lagavulin operation. After Johnston’s death in 1836, a Glasgow spirit merchant named Alexander Graham acquired the company. A member of his family later formed a business with James Mackie, called James L. Mackie & Co., which took over the distillery in 1861. Mackie’s nephew Peter came to work at the distillery in 1878 and, over the next few decades, brought the brand into a new era of production and popularity. The firm that owned Lagavulin changed names various times over the years; in 1927, the brand joined the Distillers Company Limited. Today, Lagavulin is owned by Diageo.
Style & Distillation Techniques
Lagavulin’s spirits are known for a rich, intensely smoky flavor profile. A few distillation techniques add to this robust quality, along with the intense peating of the barley (typically around 35 phenol parts per million). Lagavulin’s spirit stills are filled as much as possible during the slow distillation process, resulting in limited copper contact and a more pungent spirit. The spirits are aged almost exclusively in Bourbon hogsheads.
Producer Website: Lagavulin