Awarded 91 points.
This Islay special release was awarded a fabulous 91 points by the WhiskyFun experts and comes complete with its original box.
A great old vintage 1988 bottling of the 16 years-old Laguvulin s Double Matured Special Release Distillers Edition from the year 2004. This special 16-year-old Islay single malt whisky of the Classic Malts Selection from the Islay legend Lagavulin was distilled in the year 1988, double matured for up to 6 months in European Pedro Ximenez Sherry oak casks - these give the whisky more fruit, such as raisins and dry fruits and a syrupy character. The whisky was bottled in 2004 at 43.0% vol. and the batch number lgv.04/492 under the direction of distillery manager Donald Renwick.
This is the definitive Islay Single Malt Malt - untameable, with the strongest peat flavour of any of the malt whiskies from this wild island shore. Its dry, complex strength of character, with characteristic notes of sea-spray, is perfectly matched by the sweet accents of sun-dried grapes derived from Pedro Ximenez cask-wood in which this special edition has been doubly matured. As a result, this is a rich, peaty malt with a sweet undertone. Perhaps unsuprisingly it is a stunning Lagavulin Islay single malt scotch whisky and is very highly rated indeed.
A great and exceptional Lagavulin Islay single malt Scotch whisky and rare expression for connoisseurs, whisky collectors and lovers of fine old Scotch whiskies.
- Typ: Single Malt Whisky - Distillery Bottling
- District: Islay
- Vintage: 1988
- Age: 16 years old
- Year bottled: 2004
- Cask Wood Type: double matured in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood
- Alcohol ABV% 43.0
- Bottling Series: Vintage 1988 Distillers Edition 2003 Special Release limited Edition - Batch-No. lgv. 4/492
- Bottle Size 70cl / 700ml
- Producer/Importer: Lagavulin Distillery Port Ellen Isle of Islay PA42 7DZ, Scotland
- Country of Origin: Scotland
- limited, number unknown - rare old bottling and special collector s whisky!
About Lagavulin
When Lagavulin 16 Year Old joined the Classic Malts portfolio in 1989, the belief within owner UD [now Diageo] was that it would be the single malt which only the most dedicated – even crazy – drinker would attempt to conquer. Smoke, it was felt in those early days of single malt, was a step too far for most people. Glenkinchie and Dalwhinnie, softer and easier going, would be the big sellers.
What actually happened was that Lagavulin became the runaway success, to the extent that it had to be put on allocation. That its growth coincided with a period where mature stock was limited (the bad old days of the 80s and early 90s) didn’t help. Today, it runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, just to try and keep up with ever-growing global demand. The world has fallen in love with smoke and Lagavulin’s complex mix of seashore and moor, pipe smoke, Lapsang Souchong, bog myrtle and rich dark fruits is a destination for many.
Though fermentation times have been cut, introducing a cereal note to the new make, the second distillation remains extremely long, maximising reflux. Ageing is predominantly in refill casks, but in recent years some ex-Sherry casks have appeared as part of a controlled programme of small batch releases, while a small amount of a higher strength 12-year-old is released annually for the real peat heads.
Founded on Islay’s south [Kildalton] coast and situated between Ardbeg and Laphroaig, legal distilling was started at Lagavulin in 1816 by John Johnston. A second distillery shared the site which was first bought by the same family in 1825, before production was absorbed into Lagavulin in 1837.
It came to wider public awareness in 1862 when blender John Logan Mackie bought the distillery. His nephew Peter J. Mackie made the first of many trips to Islay in 1878 to learn the secrets of distilling and eventually take over production of Lagavulin. Sir Peter Mackie, as he became, was one of the pre-eminent figures of late 19th century whisky. He created the White Horse blend in 1890, co-founded Craigellachie distillery and was noted as a great innovator.
In 1908, irritated by the loss of the agency for Laphroaig, Mackie built a replica distillery at Lagavulin which he called Malt Mill. It ran until 1962 and though it was set up to produce the same character as Laphroaig – which is only two miles away – it never did. Neither did it make Lagavulin. A (fictitious) cask of Malt Mill played a central role in film director Ken Loach’s comedy The Angel’s Share.
The distillery floor maltings shut in 1974. They now form the visitor’s centre and admin offices.
43% ABV
70cl
