Lagavulin Just Released a Rare, Ultra-Smoky 10-Year Bottling
Over the years, Lagavulin has built a reputation as a premier Islay Scotch whisky distilleries. One of the most beloved brands in Diageo’s belt, it’s known for its smoky essence and depth of flavor. In a sense, it celebrates everything that the small island off the west coast of Scotland is known for. So launching a limited-edition single malt or two to go with the Islay’s annual festival, Fèis Ìle, just makes sense. This year, the distillery will release Lagavulin Skies of Fèis Ìle 29-Year-Old and the Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2024 10-Year-Old.
The 29-year-old Lagavulin Skies of Fèis Ìle is likely to pull in single-malt lovers with cash to spend on interesting bottles. Inspired by the aurora borealis, which can at times be seen in the skies of Islay, this whisky was finished in a heavily charred amoroso-seasoned American oak hogshead cask.
Whisky expert and author Charles MacLean says, it’s as good as single-malt gets: "This is a hugely satisfying and complex whisky and a superb example of Lagavulin, whose distillery character still shines through its considerable age and unique finishing.”
Just 250 bottles of the 29-Year Old Scotch will be released and each one will be personally hand filled and signed by Distillery Manager, Jordan Paisley. They are priced at $2,720.
On top of the Skies of Fèis Ìle, Lagavulin will also release the Fèis Ìle 2024 10-Year-Old, which is one for real peat lovers. To create it, the distillery team used malt with higher peating levels and matured the liquid in refill, heavily charred and first fill ex-bourbon American oak hogsheads.
This Scotch features savory maritime notes of iodine and dry seaweed along with the smokiness the distillery is known for. It’s the kind of offering made for Lagavulin lovers. Bottled at 56.7 percent ABV, only 1,800 bottles of the Fèis Ìle 2024 10-Year-Old will be available and are priced at $190. They can be purchased from the distillery.
“This year we’re releasing two very different expressions, but with a very similar inspiration: the way special moments, like Fèis Ìle or the Northern Lights on Islay, are capable of bringing people together,” says Paisley. “Just like Lagavulin has been uniting fans all over the world through its unique whisky, it is a very special moment for us.”
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