Lagavulin 26 Year Old, The Lion's Jewel, was the older of two Lagavulins in Diageo's 2021 Special Releases. Aged in first-fill casks seasoned with Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry, it is bottled at a natural strength of 44.2% and limited to 7,542 bottles.
About This Whisky
This was the first 26 year old Lagavulin in the Special Releases. After more than a quarter of a century in rich European oak, the strength has fallen naturally to 44.2%, and the smoke has softened into the background. The nose is vinous and woody, moving from baked fig and butterscotch towards oily smoke and a trace of tarry rope.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Baked fig, raisin, polished mahogany, butterscotch and a drift of seaweed smoke.
- Palate: Smooth and oily, with dark fruit, treacle, cocoa and salt, growing savoury and smokier.
- Finish: Long and warm, with smouldering leaves, soft oak and a mushroom note.
Serving & Food
Serve neat and unchilled in a crystal tulip glass; water is not needed. Keep food simple: roasted chestnuts, a slice of fruit cake or aged Parmigiano.
How to Enjoy
A special-occasion bottle for Lagavulin collectors and for lovers of old, sherried Islay malt.
Product Details
Distillery: Lagavulin (Diageo)
Age: 26 years old
Series: Special Releases 2021, The Lion's Jewel
Cask Type: First-fill Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso seasoned casks
ABV: 44.2% (natural cask strength)
Bottles: 7,542
Category: Islay single malt Scotch whisky
Origin: Scotland
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Lagavulin's standard whiskies are mostly aged in ex-bourbon wood, with sherry kept for occasional releases such as the Distillers Edition, which is finished in Pedro Ximénez casks. That makes a full-term, heavily sherried Lagavulin unusual. The distillery belongs to Diageo, whose annual Special Releases give its malt distilleries room to bottle older or experimental casks. In 2021 Lagavulin appeared twice in the collection, with a 12 Year Old and this 26.