Lagavulin distillery

Building the Lagavulin distillery

Lagavulin is a whiskey distillery in Lagavulin on the Scottish Hebridean island of Islay. The distillery is part of the spirits group Diageo (formerly United Distillers ). The whiskey is marketed as part of the Classic Malts series of operations.

Name

The name Lagavulin (pronounced Lagga - wuulin ) means something like " the well in which the mill stands ."

History

Already since 1742 today at the distillery Lagavulin Bay whiskey was produced at the site. The first legal distillery was founded in 1816, however, by John Johnston, in the following year came another by Archibald Campbell added Founded: Ardmore, not to be confused with the Ardmore distillery in Kennethmont to which no reference is made. After both distilleries came into the possession of Mr. Johnston, these were merged in 1837 to today's Lagavulin distillery. In 1927, the distillery to the Distillers Company Limited ( DCL ) in 1930 delegated the operational management of her daughter Scotish Malt Distillers ( SMD). From 1908 to 1960 there were on the site of yet another distillery: Malt Mill by Peter Mackie. Today is in its malting the Visitor Center. The distillery was closed down in the past several times for short periods: 1918, 1941-1945 and 1952 until 1953.

Production

The water belonging to the region Islay distillery comes from hole Sholum and Lochan Sholum, two lakes on the slopes of 347 m high Beinn Sholum. The malt used is sourced from the Port Ellen Maltings. Lagavulin has a mash tun ( mash do ) ( 4.32 t) of stainless steel fermentation vats and 10 (wash backs) ( per 21,300 liters) of pine wood. Wash is distilled in two stills ( per 12,300 liters ) and two spirit stills ( per 12,900 liters) which are heated by steam. Before placing in the 250 - liter drums, called hogsheads, to mature is diluted with water to 63.4 percent of the new make.

Products

Hardly a distillery with such a limited range of products so successful as Lagavulin. For a long time only the 16 -year-old bottling available, only a few years ago was added a second regular bottling. Meanwhile, there are a few more original bottlings. Independent bottlings of these whiskeys are rare, when a barrel should still reach another bottler but it must use a different name, because the name Lagavulin may only be used by the distillery.

16 Years Old

A typical " Islaywhisky ", very strong, peaty and smoky, with a very long finish. The 16 -year-old Lagavulin is the oldest and best-selling whiskey in the Classic Malts series and also is used as base malt used in the blend Whitehorse and its rare deluxe version of Logan. In the past it was because of the high demand, often a shortage of supply, so that customers are not rare empty shelves were in the whiskey shops. In response, the 12 - year-old came out at cask strength. This bottling is very smoky and, therefore, especially for fans of Islay malts interesting.

Pedro Ximénez Finished

The Distillers Edition of Lagavulin in Pedro Ximénez was downstream barrels. Due to the influences of these barrels and a longer ripening period the whiskey is made a part of his strength, but he is also more complex and versatile.

12 Years Old, Cask Strength

It was not until 2002, this bottling has been introduced. Possible reason for this may, among other things, a Knapp Are the supplies for the 16 -year-old Lagavulin be, which is due to the sharp increase in demand in the previous years. Can produce short-term by resorting to younger vintages such a bottleneck to be overcome. Due to the shorter storage time and the high alcohol content of about 58 %, this bottling is even more intense than the regular bottling. In the period before the Classic Malts (1988 ) there was a 12 -year-old Lagavulin 43%, the predecessor of today's 16 Years Old. This was even more intense and appeared occasionally in Auctions on.

21 Years Old, Cask Strength

Original Bottling distilled in 1985 bottled in 2007 with 56.5 % in an edition of only 6642 bottles.

25 Years Old, Cask Strength

For a long time the oldest and most expensive Original Bottling with 57.2 % in an edition of only 9000 bottles.

30 Years Old, Cask Strength

Original Bottling 2006 with 52.6 % in an edition of only 2340 bottles.