Lagavulin single malt whiskey is highly regarded among connoisseurs for its rich smoky peaty taste with sweet-salty iodine notes and a long aftertaste. The company is considered one of the best Scottish whiskey producers.
Historical reference. Islay is the birthplace of Lagavulin whiskey. It was here in 1816 that the enterprising farmer John Johnston, who was seriously fond of distillation, opened the Lagavulin distillery (translated from Gaelic – “mill in a small valley”).
It is noteworthy that Lagavulin was the first of 10 officially registered distilleries on the island. Until that time, the production of whiskey was illegal, with which at the beginning of the XNUMXth century the authorities decided to put an end to it once and for all.
A little later, a rival production opened next to the distillery – the Kildalton distillery, owned by Archibald Campbell. Johnston, whose business was doing quite well, bought out a competitor after 5 years. In 1837, both companies became one and began to produce whiskey under the common name “Lagavulin”.
Around the middle of the XNUMXth century, the factories were acquired by Mackie & Co, owned by James Logan. Thanks to the efforts of Logan’s nephew, Peter Mackey, who was well versed in both whiskey production and commerce, Lagavulin products began to be sold not only in Scotland, but also in London. By the way, it is Peter Mackey who is the creator of the legendary whiskey “White Horse” (“White Horse”).
In 1908, the company decided to expand production. As a result, another distillery was built – Malt Mill, which specialized in the production of classic varieties of Scotch whiskey Lagavulin. This was done in order to get rid of the competition of the aggressively “stepping on the heels” of the company “Laphroaig”.
In 1924, Mackey’s grandson became the owner of Lagavulin, and 3 years later the company was bought by United Distillers (Diageo). The concern paid maximum attention to the production of classic malt whiskey and the result was not long in coming. The demand for whiskey has been constantly increasing, now the annual production is over 2 million liters, with most of the production being exported.
2016 turned out to be an anniversary year for Lagavulin. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the plant, the CEO of Diageo arrived on the island, and the company itself prepared several exclusive releases (more on that below).
Production features. Until 1974, Lagavulin used its own malt, prepared in the traditional way, then switched to the grain of the Port Ellen Maltings malt house – since then, the malt has been made from barley dried on smoldering peat, which gives the drink “the same” smoky taste and aroma.
The peculiar taste of Lagavulin whiskey directly depends on the water, which is taken from the purest natural mineral spring located next to the plant. The water has a specific taste, since the underground springs flowing into the source flow through the peat bogs surrounding the plant.
Another feature of the production process is a long distillation. To do this, use 2 cubes for primary distillation and 2 for secondary. An important nuance of the primary distillation is not completely filled containers. Approximately 5% of the free area is allocated for steam: a chemical reaction when interacting with the copper walls of the cube makes the taste of whiskey softer and cleaner. The distillate is then aged in bourbon and sherry casks made from American and European oak. The strength of the classic finished whiskey is not less than 43%.
Achievements and awards. In 2004, Lagavulin whiskey earned a rating from 90-95 to 100 points (on Parker’s 100-point scale) from Wine Enthusiast magazine. This means that the experts considered the evaluated sample not only as “an outstanding alcoholic beverage with excellent taste and its own style” (90-95 points), but also recognized it as “great” (95-100 points).
From 2005 to 2008, Lagavulin was awarded double gold medals at one of the most prestigious international spirits tasting competitions, the San Francisco Spirits Competition.
In 2012, at the annual World Whiskeys Awards organized by WHISKY magazine, Lagavulin earned the Best Islay 13 to 20 years award, as well as a gold medal in the Whiskey Scotch category at the IWSC 2012 (Gold Outstanding Medal). In addition, Lagavulin Special Release 12 years old received a silver medal from the Malt Maniacs Awards.
How to drink. Whiskey Lagavulin is combined with Roquefort or Gorgonzola cheese, salted crackers, salted red fish, coffee. Connoisseurs of elite spirits do not advise adding ice to this brand of scotch, but rather serve it heated to 18 ° C. But in a glass of whiskey, you can drop a few drops of water, which will help to more fully reveal all the nuances of taste.
Types of whiskey Lagavulin
The main focus of the manufacturer is on drinks aged 12 and 16 years.
- Lagavulin 12 years old. The taste is smoky, peaty, with a hint of creamy caramel, chocolate and chestnuts. The aftertaste reveals fresh citrus and spicy notes with a slight aroma of toasted biscuit. Colour: Pure light amber. Fortress – 43%.
- Lagavulin is 16 years old. Intense smoky peat aroma complemented by notes of sea salt, algae and prunes. The taste is smoky, peaty, slightly tarry, with a hint of oak, iodine and black tea. Sweet notes are introduced by the taste of smoked dried fruits, fresh apples and chocolate. In the aftertaste, a combination of dark chocolate, oak bark, salt, lemon and vanilla is clearly felt. The color is noble and deep: dark amber with gold. Fortress – 43%.
Periodically, limited editions of Lagavulin, timed to coincide with an event, go on sale. So, in 2016, on its 200th anniversary, the company released a number of releases:
- Lagavulin 8 years. Sweet smoky-spicy taste with a touch of dark chocolate, cherries and oranges, complemented by cinnamon notes. It smoothly turns into a pleasant aftertaste with an unobtrusive peat base, which is intertwined with subtle aromas of meadow flowers, mint, heather and vanilla. Beautiful honey color. Fortress – 48%.
- Lagavulin 25 years old (8000 bottles). The taste is smoky, peaty, with hints of smoked meats and candied orange, with a hint of apples, mint tea, cardamom and coriander. The finish is fresh, pleasantly sweet and herbaceous. Intense golden color. Fortress – 55%.
- Lagavulin 18 years old (6000 bottles). Peaty smoky taste with smack of smoked meats and well-done croutons is successfully combined with minty freshness, iodine, seaweed and citrus notes. An interesting aftertaste with an emphasis on green tea, green pepper and lime. Golden amber color with honey hues. Fortress – 49,5%.
- Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival 2016 (6000 bottles). Scotch with a strength of 54,5%. This batch was sold only in the distillery shop from the first day of the opening of the festival.
- Lagavulin Distillers Edition with a minimum exposure of 16 years and a strength of 43%. Each whiskey of this collection has its own characteristics. In general terms, this scotch has a classic smoky taste, in which licorice, pepper and honey notes are woven. The bitterness of coffee and dark chocolate dilutes the sweetness of figs and fruit jam. The bouquet is complemented by the aroma of cherries, meadow herbs and dried flowers. Color: rich amber shades with gold.
- Lagavulin Feis Ile aged 12, 14, 15, 18 and 19 years. Fortress from 51 to 54,7%.