Single Malt 200th Anniversary 8YO
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled single malt Scotch whisky, this bottling is stable and ready to drink upon release, maintaining its peak quality indefinitely when stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Raw oysters, blue cheese, smoked salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Released in 2016 to commemorate the bicentenary of the legendary Islay distillery founded in 1816, the Lagavulin 8 Year Old 200th Anniversary Edition pays homage to a historic milestone. The inspiration for this bottling dates back to the late 19th century, when the famous Victorian whisky historian Alfred Barnard visited the distillery and declared an 8-year-old Lagavulin to be 'exceptionally fine.' Crafted using Lagavulin's signature slow distillation in pear-shaped copper pot stills and matured in refill American oak casks, this expression is celebrated for its vibrant, unapologetic character. It delivers an intense wave of clean peat smoke, maritime sea spray, and bright citrus zest, balanced by a warming, peppery finish that captures the wild, untamed spirit of the Islay coastline.
🍾 About the Producer
Perched on the rugged southern coastline of Islay, Lagavulin was officially established in 1816 by John Johnston, formalising centuries of illicit distilling along the sheltered cove beneath Dunyvaig Castle. Operating within an unforgiving maritime microclimate, the distillery draws peaty, mineral-rich process water from the upland Solum Lochs. Production relies on heavily peated barley and exceptionally deliberate methods: lengthy fermentations in larch washbacks precede distillation across four distinctive pear-shaped pot stills. Lagavulin famously executes one of the slowest double distillations in Scotland with wide middle cuts and high fill levels, maximizing copper interaction to sculpt a rich, oily spirit imbued with phenolic depth, smoked lapsang souchong, and iodine. Matured extensively in dunnage warehouses washed by sea spray, the resulting single malt balances pungent maritime brine and sweet oak tannins. Benchmark expressions include the iconic 16 Year Old, the cask-strength 12 Year Old annual releases, and sought-after mature parcels within Diageo's Prima & Ultima collection.