| Region: Islay | |
|---|---|
| Location | Islay |
| Owner | Diageo |
| Founded | 1816 |
| Status | Operational |
| Water source | Solum Lochs |
| Lagavulin | |
| Age(s) | 12-year-old (cask strength) 16-year-old Distiller's edition 21-year-old 25-year-old 30-year-old |
| Cask type(s) | Bourbon Sherry |
| Location map | |
Lagavulin Single Malt is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky produced at Lagavulin on the island of Islay, United Kingdom. The whisky has a powerful, peat-smoke aroma, and is described as being robustly full-bodied, well balanced, and smooth, with a slight sweetness on the palate.
The standard Lagavulin single malt is 16 years old (43%), though they regularly release a 12-year-old cask strength variety, Distiller's edition, finished in Pedro Ximénez casks, as well as 25- and 30-year-old varieties. A recent 21-year-old bottling, matured solely in first-fill sherry casks, has been extremely well received by enthusiasts.
Lagavulin is produced by White Horse Distillers, which is owned 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".
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The distillery of Lagavulin officially dates from 1816, when John Jonston and Archibald Campbell constructed two distilleries on the site. One of them became Lagavulin, taking over the other—which one is not exactly known. Records show illicit distillation in at least ten illegal distilleries on the site as far back as 1742, however. In the 19th century, several legal battles ensued with their neighbour Laphroaig, brought about after the distiller at Lagavulin, Sir Peter Mackie, leased the Laphroaig distillery. It is said that Mackie attempted to copy Laphroaig's style. Since the water and peat at Lagavulin's premises was different from that at Laphroaig's, the result was different. The Lagavulin distillery is located in the town of the same name.
International Spirit ratings competitions have generally given Lagavulin's 16-year spirit extremely high scores. The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, for instance, gave the 16-year four consecutive double gold medals between 2005 and 2008 and has awarded it gold medals in the years since.[1] Wine Enthusiast put the 16-year in its 90–95 point interval in 2004.[2] Spirits ratings aggregator proof66.com, which averages scores from the San Francisco Spirits Competition, Wine Enthusiast, and others, classifies the spirit in its highest ("Tier 1") performance category.[3]
In Danny Boyle's 2002 horror film 28 Days Later, before escaping London, the survivors of the zombie plague help themselves to supplies at an abandoned grocery store, including an ample supply of whisky. Although one does not see the Lagavulin label, the packaging is consistent with Lagavulin and the character Frank reads the text found on the 16-year Lagavulin bottle, including that it "Takes Out the Fire but Leaves in the Warmth."
In Season 3, Episode 16 of The West Wing, Toby Ziegler and the British ambassador the to the U.S., Lord John Marbury, discuss at a White House party the controversial planned visit of an Irish political figure. Lord Marbury then says he was "looking for some Lagavulin. It's a 16-year Islay single malt." To which Toby says he knows of Lagavulin and invites Lord Marbury to a nearby bar, where, over many glasses of Lagavulin, they come to an agreement over the issue.
In Season 3, Episode 6 of Parks and Recreation, Ron Swanson mentions Lagavulin 16 as an accompanying drink in his "Mulligans" restaurant photo diary. In Episode 12 of the same season, Leslie Knope gives Ron Swanson a surprise birthday party -- for one -- complete with a steak dinner, great war movies, and entire bottle of Lagavulin 16. No reference is made directly to the whisky, but the bottle and color of the malt is clearly that of Lagavulin.
Canadian novelist Terry Fallis mentions Lagavulin throughout his first novel "The Best Laid Plans". His character, Angus McLintock is a Scottish engineering professor and liberal MP who frequently drinks Lagavulin.
NBC executive Jack Donaghy on the sitcom 30 Rock can be seen drinking Lagavulin in many episodes.
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