Single Malt Distillers Edition Double Matured lgv.4/505 (((Bottled 2016)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a high-strength distilled spirit, this bottle will not mature further in glass and can be preserved indefinitely if stored away from direct sunlight. Once opened, it is best enjoyed within 1 to 3 years to experience its full aromatic complexity.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, dark chocolate torte, smoked wild salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Lagavulin's Distillers Edition represents a masterful marriage of intense Islay peat smoke and the luscious sweetness of Spanish Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2016 under the batch code lgv.4/505, this expression undergoes a secondary maturation ('double matured') that beautifully tempers the distillery's legendary, medicinal peat punch with rich notes of dark raisins, dates, and cacao. According to local lore, the exceptionally slow distillation in Lagavulin's pear-shaped stills mimics the unhurried pace of life on the rugged Islay coast, where the damp sea spray constantly seasons the oak casks during their long slumber. The result is a complex, deeply warming malt where bonfire smoke, maritime brine, and sticky-sweet PX sherry influence coexist in perfect, dramatic harmony.
🍾 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.