Single Malt Prima & Ultima Refill American Oak Hogshead 25YO Bottled 50.7%
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to be enjoyed immediately upon release, this ultra-premium cask-strength single malt will preserve its extraordinary character indefinitely if stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, smoked oysters, dark chocolate
✨ Technical Specifications
Part of Diageo's prestigious 'Prima & Ultima' series, this exceptional 25-year-old single malt represents a rare moment in Lagavulin's history. Distilled in 1997 and matured in refill American oak hogsheads, it was hand-selected to showcase a gentler, more nuanced side of the famously intense Islay distillery. The slow distillation in Lagavulin's pear-shaped stills, combined with a quarter-century of quiet maturation on the windswept shores of Lagavulin Bay, has softened the aggressive peat smoke into a complex tapestry of maritime brine, sweet woodsmoke, and delicate tropical fruit notes. The use of refill casks ensures that the distillery's true character is not overshadowed by heavy wood influence, offering a historic liquid time capsule of Islay's legendary distilling heritage.
🍾 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.