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Islay malt drinks stand out among other Scotch scotches with a pronounced “smoky” and “peaty” bouquet.
Whiskey Lagavulin (Lagavulin) is considered a classic example of local production: smoked notes are heard most clearly in it. The specific taste frightens off some consumers, attracts others, but does not leave anyone indifferent.
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History of whiskey Lagavulin
The first distilleries on the island of Islay appeared in the XVIII century. These were illegal enterprises, most of which had to close after the tightening of laws. By the beginning of the XNUMXth century, only two whiskey distilleries remained on the island. One of them was owned by farmer John Johnston.
In 1816, he registered his company under the name “Lagavulin”, thereby marking the beginning of the legal production of whiskey in the region. Soon, John bought the second surviving distillery from its owner, Archibald Campbell.
After the death of the founder, the company changed owners several times: in the 30s it fell into the hands of the merchant Alexander Graham, and in 1861 it became part of James L Mackie & Co.
The company reached its greatest prosperity under Peter Mackey, who glorified the Lagavulin brand throughout the world. In his work, “tireless Pete” was guided by the principle “nothing is impossible”, which he managed to bring to life. It was he who created the popular blended White Horse whiskey, which was based on Lagavulin spirits, and began to use a screw cap to clog bottles. Peter also significantly expanded the company’s capacity by launching an auxiliary distillery “Malt Mill”.
In 1927, the Lagavulin and White Horse brands merged under the banner of the Distillers Company Limited. During the Second World War, the company was forced to close production, which was restored almost immediately after the end of the war.
Today, the Lagavulin brand is included in the product portfolio of the alcohol giant Diageo.
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The specifics of the production of whiskey Lagavulin
To create whiskey, the manufacturer uses water from local sources Loch Sholum and Loch Lochan.
The malt is purchased at the Port Ellen Maltings plant, where it is made according to a special recipe specifically for Lagavulin. Until 1974, the company harvested barley on its own: it was grown, malted in the traditional “floor” method and ground in its own mill.
For distillation, 4 distillation cubes are used (2 primary and 2 secondary), the design of which allows you to get the most pure and soft alcohols. The productivity of the equipment reaches 2 million liters per year.
Bourbon barrels are used for aging, less often sherry barrels.
Most of the whiskey is bottled directly at the distillery: a very small percentage of distillates is sold to other enterprises (for the manufacture of blends).
Types of whiskey Lagavulin
Under the legendary brand, single malt drinks of varying degrees of exposure are produced. The main collection includes:
Lagavulin 12 years Old
Whiskey of a pale golden hue with a delicate aroma, in which characteristic smoky notes are combined with accents of toffee and fresh pastries.
Taste: lively, sweet, moderately oily and tangy, with notes of lime, grain, salt, wood and smoked peat.
Lagavulin 16 Year Old
A classic of the genre – one of the most popular scotch tapes of the legendary brand.
The drink is a rich golden amber color with pronounced accents of peat, iodine, sherry and oak.
Taste: bright, sweet, oily, with smoky and marine accents, pleasant rich lingering finish.
Lagavulin Distillers Edition
A series of drinks, annually replenished with new releases.
For additional aging, barrels from sweet sherry are used.
Minimum age of spirits: 16 years. Hints of peat, sea, dried fruits, honey, oak and malt are traditionally present in every release.
Strength: 43%.
For the 200th anniversary of the company, the anniversary “Lagavulin 25 Year Old” and “Lagavulin 8 Year Old” were released. Also, limited editions of special drinks dedicated to certain events periodically appear in the brand’s collection. The strength of adhesive tapes varies from 43 to 60%.
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Relevance: 25.04.2019
Tags: Whiskey and bourbon, Scotch brands