Single Malt The Syndicates Cask No 4396 30YO (((Bottled 2020)))
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to enjoy now, as bottled single malt Scotch whisky does not mature further in glass and will maintain its extraordinary character indefinitely when stored properly.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
blue cheese, dark chocolate, smoked wild salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Distilled in 1989 and matured for three decades before being bottled in 2020, this exceptionally rare single cask bottling from Lagavulin was selected by 'The Syndicates'—an exclusive group of Scotch whisky connoisseurs. Lagavulin's signature style, born from slow distillation in pear-shaped stills on the edge of Islay, is celebrated for its intense peat and maritime character. Over 30 years of quiet maturation in Cask No. 4396, the fierce, medicinal peat smoke of its youth has transformed into a sublime, complex profile. It weaves together notes of beeswax, dried tropical fruits, old leather, and a gentle, lingering coastal bonfire smoke, representing the absolute pinnacle of Islay craftsmanship.
🍾 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.