Set upon the wind-scoured southern shore of Islay, Lagavulin has for more than two centuries produced one of Scotland's most instantly recognisable single malts. Its long maturation, patient fermentation and unmistakable peat smoke have made it a byword for the Islay style.
A History of the Distillery
Lagavulin was established in 1816 by John Johnston, with Archibald Campbell setting up a second, short-lived operation nearby the following year. The two enterprises were eventually consolidated into a single working distillery. The name derives from the Gaelic Lag a' Mhuilinn, meaning 'the hollow by the mill', a reference to the small watermills that once operated in the surrounding glen. Records of illicit distillation on the site pre-date the licensed distillery by many decades. In 1988 Lagavulin was chosen as one of the six Classic Malts of Scotland, an initiative that helped transform single malt whisky from a connoisseur's interest into a global category.
Traditional Production Methods
The distillery uses heavily peated malted barley sourced from Port Ellen Maltings on the same island. Fermentation is unusually long — up to 75 hours — which develops the depth of fruit and complexity for which the spirit is known. Distillation takes place slowly in a set of small onion-shaped copper pot stills, and the resulting spirit is filled into ex-bourbon American oak casks and matured for a minimum of sixteen years in traditional dunnage warehouses on the shore.
There is nothing in the world quite like the moment when the sea wind carries the smoke of Lagavulin across the shore.
Historical Importance
Lagavulin is one of the defining expressions of Islay whisky. Its extended maturation period was unusual at the time of its introduction and has since influenced maturation practice at many other distilleries. The success of the 16 year old in the Classic Malts range brought international recognition to the peated style and helped shape modern expectations of what an Islay single malt should offer.
Historical Curiosities
The distillery stands beside the ruins of Dunyvaig Castle, once a formidable stronghold of the Lords of the Isles. Alfred Barnard visited Lagavulin during his tour of the United Kingdom's distilleries in 1885 and documented the site in his seminal work, The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom.
International Recognition
Lagavulin 16 is among the most decorated single malts of the modern era, celebrated by writers such as Michael Jackson and Charles MacLean and firmly established as a reference expression for the Islay region.
