Lagavulin Whisky from the Islay is one of the most recognized single malts around, known for its smoky, peaty and salty notes that are influenced by its environment.
Many agree that the peat and smoke-filled flavour profile of Lagavulin Whisky is an acquired taste. Appreciating it usually takes some practice and you shouldn’t be afraid to dilute it with a few drops of water to let the aromas develop fully. This challenging character is one of the reasons that Lagavulin has built a strong following around the world – in the words of the Distillery Manager Georgie Crawford: “…when you do get to a place where you have tamed it, you feel you have achieved something great, and it will just keep giving you great pleasure then!”
The standard Lagavulin single malt is 16 years old (43%), though they regularly release a 12-year-old cask strength variety, a Distiller's edition finished in Pedro Ximénez casks, and 25- and 30-year-old varieties.
Lagavulin is produced by United Distillers & Vintners, which in turn is owned by Diageo plc. It is marketed under their Classic Malts brand. The name of Lagavulin is an anglicization of the Gaelic lag a'mhuilin, meaning "hollow by the mill".