Single Malt Diageo Special Release 26YO Bottled
⏳ Drinking Window & Cellar Guidance
As a mature, cask-strength single malt, this bottle will remain in pristine condition indefinitely when stored upright away from direct light. Once opened, it is best enjoyed within 1 to 3 years.
🍽️ Culinary Pairings
blue cheese, dark chocolate, smoked venison
✨ Technical Specifications
Released as part of Diageo's highly anticipated 2021 'Legends Untold' Special Releases, this extraordinary 26-year-old single malt represents a rare, ultra-aged expression from the legendary Lagavulin Distillery on the rugged south coast of Islay. Distilled in 1994 and matured exclusively in first-fill Pedro Xim nez and Oloroso sherry-seasoned casks, this expression showcases a magnificent marriage of Lagavulin's signature maritime peat smoke with deep, dark, dried-fruit sweetness. The distillery's famously slow distillation in pear-shaped stills allows the heavy oils and phenols to develop a rich, complex character, which over more than a quarter-century of coastal slumber has softened into a sophisticated tapestry of bonfire embers, salt spray, baked figs, and rich cacao.
🍾 About the Producer
Officially established in 1816 by John Johnston, Lagavulin is situated on the windswept southern coast of the Isle of Islay, Scotland, overlooking the dramatic ruins of Dunyvaig Castle. Today owned by Diageo, the historic distillery is celebrated for its uncompromising dedication to traditional methods, utilising heavily peated malt and remarkably slow distillation in distinctive pear-shaped pot stills. This meticulous process yields an intensely rich, oily, and complex spirit that embodies the quintessential maritime character of southern Islay. Renowned for balancing ferocious peat smoke, brine, and medicinal notes with deep dried-fruit sweetness, Lagavulin achieves its definitive expression in its legendary 16 Year Old single malt.