Whisky Focus - Lagavulin Whisky Distillery

Lagavulin is one of Scotland's "essential" distilleries, and a place of pilgrimage for many adorers of this definitive Islay Malt, for which demand heavily exceeds supply.

Here on the coast of Kildalton, the south-eastern edge of Islay, the distillery works its magic on a cramped, chaotic, wildly romantic site by the sea, looking across a small tight bay to the ruins of Dunyvaig Castle, a 13th century base of The Lords of the Isles.

It was in 1816 that John Johnston founded the first legal distillery at Lagavulin Bay: there had been many other illicit stills before that. As with all Scottish distilleries, it passed through the hands of different owners, including the celebrated Sir Peter Mackie, whose company became White Horse Distillers, forever associated with Lagavulin. White Horse Distillers joined The Distillers Company Ltd. (eventually Diageo) in 1927. In 1989, Lagavulin, now bottled at 16 years rather than the original 12, became one of the six Classic Malts™ of Scotland.

Among the highly successful variants of the regular 16 year old Lagavulin are the much-praised Lagavulin Distillers Edition, finished in Pedro Jimenez Cask Wood.

Limited editions of 12, 21 and 25 year old expressions have also been released.
 

• History of the Islay Jazz Festival
   
• Lagavulin 2010 Islay Jazz Festival

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops
  

Whisky Focus