Single Malt The Managers Choice Single Cask Selection Cask No 4477 (((Bottled 2009)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this bottle will remain in peak condition indefinitely if stored upright and 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, smoked wild salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
In 2009, Diageo debuted 'The Manager's Choice' series, a highly limited selection of single cask bottlings curated by the distillery managers of their most prestigious distilleries. For Lagavulin, then-distillery manager Donald Renwick selected Cask No. 4477. Distilled in 1997 and matured in a single European oak Sherry cask, this expression represents a magnificent marriage of Lagavulin's signature heavy peat smoke, coastal brine, and the rich, dried-fruit and spice complexity imparted by the sherry wood. It is a legendary snapshot of a single moment in Islay's distilling history, bottled at natural cask strength without chill-filtration, capturing the raw, 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.