Scotland, Isle of Islay. Distillery operational. Owner: Diageo

An iconic malt in the very famous Six Classic Malts range launched in the late 1980s, Lagavulin became, in just a few years, the most popular peated malt in the world. Very quickly, the distillery's entire production, initially reserved for blends such as the famous White Horse blend, was reassigned exclusively to bottlings of the single malt in order to anticipate future international demand. Known until that point in the form of a 12 Year Old expression (one released in the early 1970s in a transparent bottle with a white label, the other released in the 1980s in a green bottle with a cream label), Lagavulin is now released as a 16 year old and has “played solo” for almost a decade. In 1997, a second Classic Malts edition was released, with a statement of vintage and double maturation. It was a Lagavulin 1979 finished in Pedro Ximenez casks that ended the omnipotence of the Lagavulin 16 Year Old, before another 12 year old version was released in 2002, updated to suit the tastes of the day (small batch, bourbon cask, cask strength). Since then, many vintage versions have helped develop the Lagavulin clan, each more sought-after than the next, including those available only at the distillery's visitor centre. It was the 40 year old version, however, released in the Rare Malts Selection in 2016, that became the most coveted, with only five editions released worldwide!

The prestigious and renowned Lagavulin distillery launched this limited edition Lagavulin 8 Year Old to mark its bicentenary. After encountering unprecedented success, it was incorporated into the permanent collection. This whisky is an exceptional single malt, the result of meticulous and skilled selection of prestigious casks. The tasting reveals a nectar with a pale gold colour that release delicate notes of menthol, pepper, sea salt, dark chocolate, citrus fruits (lemon and orange) and small red fruits. The palate boasts a wonderful round texture marked by empyreumatic, chocolatey and slightly grilled flavours. Particularly persistent, it lingers on powerful smoky flavours. This is a true nectar for meditation that can be enjoyed by itself or with bold dishes such as foie gras and onion confit, blue cheese or game with a cranberry sauce.