Lagavulin distillery information
In 1816, John Johnston started the Lagavulin distillery on the Isle of Islay. A year later, Archibald Campbell started one at nearly the same site, under the name Ardmore (which has no relation to the current Ardmore distillery in Speyside). The distilleries were located in the Lagavulin Bay, and pretty much in-between Laphroaig and Ardbeg, both of which were established a year earlier. In 1825, Johnston bought the Ardmore distillery, and closed it down in 1835, combining it with his own in 1837. In 1852, the distillery changed hands to John Crawford Graham, who sold it off to James Logan Mackie & Co in 1867. James Logan Mackie put his nephew Sir Peter Mackie in control of the distillery, and ownership shifted to him after James’ death in 1889. Peter was responsible for launching the White Horse blend, which became quite popular, in 1890. However, Mackie had trouble with nearby Laphroaig. Around the turn of the century, Laphroaig cancelled the agreement that allowed Mackie to act as their agent, in order to be able to sell more whisky themselves. This angered Lagavulins’ owner, and the two parties met in court several times. By 1907, the lease ran out, and Laphroaig refused to renew it. Furious, Mackie had one of his men erect a dam in order to divert the neighbor’s water source, and the courts had to intervene again. Mackie was ordered to tear down the dam. His next move was to establish a new distillery; The Malt Mill Distillery, for which he hired Laphroaig’s distillery manager, and had a copper-smith create replicas of the Laphroaig stills. The idea was to recreate their spirit, and push them out of the market that way. The plot failed,but Sir Peter was not quite done yet. He attempted to buy out Laphroaig several times, but every time his offers were refused, and eventually he was forced to give up. In 1924, Mackie passed away, and ownership of the distillery was switched to White Horse Distillers Ltd. It was transferred to Distiller Company Ltd 3 years later in 1927(which later was absorbed by Guinness, and now is part of Diageo). In 1960, Lagavulin was rebuilt, and Malt Mill Distillery’s buildings were added to it. The malting floors were closed in 1974. In 1988, it was added as one of the 6 Classic Malts (which also include Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Oban and Talisker).Lagavulin Whiskies
The pear-shaped stills, along with a long fermentation, distillation and maturation (the 16 Year Old is the standard expression) give Lagavulin its unique character. Peat is used to give Lagavulin it’s distinctive Islay character. The core range consists of:- 8 Year Old — brighter and more intensely peated than the 16
- 16 Year Old — the benchmark expression
- Distillers Edition — 16 Year finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
- 12 Year Old (Cask Strength) — annual special release
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Lagavulin |
| Region | Islay |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1816 |
| Water source | Solum Lochs |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address | Lagavulin Distillery Port Ellen Isle of Islay PA42 7DZ |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.malts.com/en-gb/distilleries/lagavulin |
| Community | Malts Club |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 4.32 tonnes | 1 (Stainless steel, full lauter) |
| Washback | 21,300 litres | 10 (Larch) |
| Wash still | 11,000 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 12,500 litres | 2 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 2,250,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. John Johnston started Lagavulin distillery on the Isle of Islay in 1816, and a year later Archibald Campbell started a second distillery nearby under the name Ardmore, unrelated to the current Ardmore distillery in Speyside. Both sat in Lagavulin Bay, roughly between Laphroaig and Ardbeg, both established a year earlier. Johnston bought the Ardmore site in 1825, closed it in 1835, and merged it with his own distillery in 1837.
The distillery changed hands to John Crawford Graham in 1852, then to James Logan Mackie & Co in 1867. James Logan Mackie put his nephew, Sir Peter Mackie, in charge, and ownership passed to Peter after James died in 1889. Peter launched the White Horse blend in 1890, which became highly popular.
Yes. Around the turn of the century, Laphroaig cancelled the agreement letting Mackie act as their sales agent, angering him enough that the two parties ended up in court repeatedly. When Laphroaig’s lease on Lagavulin’s water source ran out in 1907 and wasn’t renewed, Mackie had a dam built to divert the water, only for the courts to order it torn down. He then founded the Malt Mill Distillery, hiring away Laphroaig’s own distillery manager and commissioning exact replica stills, hoping to recreate Laphroaig’s spirit and undercut them in the market. The plan failed, and Mackie’s repeated attempts to simply buy Laphroaig outright were also turned down every time.
Mackie died in 1924, and ownership passed to White Horse Distillers Ltd, then to Distillers Company Ltd in 1927, later absorbed by Guinness and now part of Diageo. Lagavulin was rebuilt in 1960, incorporating the old Malt Mill Distillery buildings, and its malting floors closed in 1974. In 1988, it was added as one of the six original Classic Malts, alongside Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Oban and Talisker.
Lagavulin’s pear-shaped stills, combined with long fermentation, distillation and maturation, give the whisky its unique character, with the 16 Year Old as the standard expression. Peat is used throughout to give Lagavulin its distinctive Islay smokiness.
This is a real, if externally sourced, piece of pop culture trivia rather than something on the distillery’s own materials: series creator Michael Schur wrote Ron Swanson as a Lagavulin drinker, a detail that happened to match star Nick Offerman’s own real-life favourite. The show sent Swanson on an actual visit to the distillery in a season six episode, and in the series finale, Ron buys a 51% stake in Lagavulin. Off-screen, Offerman has gone on to release several real Lagavulin Offerman Edition single malts in collaboration with the distillery.
The core range includes an 8 Year Old, brighter and more intensely peated than the 16; the 16 Year Old, the benchmark expression; the Distillers Edition, a 16 Year Old finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks; and a 12 Year Old Cask Strength, released as an annual special release.
Yes, Lagavulin has a visitor centre.