Single Malt Distillers Edition Double Matured Batch No lgv.4/463 (((Bottled 1997)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this vintage bottling will remain stable indefinitely if stored upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Once opened, it is best consumed within 1 to 3 years to experience its full aromatic complexity.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
blue cheese, dark chocolate, smoked duck
✨ Technical Specifications
The Lagavulin Distillers Edition Batch lgv.4/463, distilled in 1980 and bottled in 1997, represents a legendary chapter in the distillery's double-maturation history. This expression undergoes a secondary maturation in hand-selected Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, a sweet, dark Spanish dessert wine that provides a dramatic counterpoint to Lagavulin's famously intense, medicinal peat smoke. According to Islay lore, the exceptionally slow distillation in pear-shaped stills captures the heavy, oily esters that define the distillery's maritime character. The result is a highly coveted vintage batch where the coastal brine, bonfire smoke, and iodine of Lagavulin Bay are beautifully softened and enriched by notes of sticky dates, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts from the PX wood.
🍾 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.