Lagavulin 2018 Distillery Exclusive Single Malt Review

After finishing up our tour and tasting at the delightful Laphroaig distillery in August 2022, our brave party of four merrily made the short walk to Lagavulin distillery to meet up with the rest of the group who'd managed to snag tickets for a tour there.

Walking in through the entrance and into the gift store we were immediately offered a welcome dram even though we weren't actually doing a tour. The options available were the Lagavulin 12 year old Special Release and a Caol Ila distillery exclusive (remember folks, both distilleries are owned by Diageo so it's not that weird to see another distilleries product on the shelves)....I opted for the Laga and then cheekily asked if i could try the Caol Ila and was duly obliged. Scottish distillery hospitality hits differently.

From there we made our way to the tasting room and I ordered a trio of the Jazz festival releases while we waited for our friends tour and tasting to finish.

If I get back to Islay Lagavulin is definitely on my hit list. What I did get to see within the distillery grounds was rather stunning and I can't help but remember how chill the whole vibe on Islay was, it literally felt like stepping back in time to a much less rushed era.

After the drams were finished we headed back out to the gift shop for a farewell dram and of course a few purchases. I bought the Caol Ila distillery exclusive and also the 2018 Lagavulin distillery exclusive.

Lagavulin 2018 Distillery Exclusive 53.5% abv £90

American Oak & 1st Fill bourbon hogsheads (6,000 btls)

Nose: Sea spray, charcoal, grilled pear, peach and pineapple plus toasted bread. Orange zest, lime, honey and just a hint of sweet peat. Alcohol is well integrated. Thyme and anise. Water brings out bbq bacon lardons and some grilled portobello mushrooms.

Palate: Quite earthy on arrival – wet moss, seaweed and an oily rag. Then we get vanilla, crème caramel, orange segments, charred oak and cocoa. Time brings grilled pineapple, balsamic and a chalkiness. Water makes it lose a bit of body but brings out toasted nuts, roasted coffee beans and makes the smoke more prominent.

Finish: Medium length with grilled fruit, plenty of oak tannins, ginger and citrus zest.

Score: 6 out of 10

Overall: An easy drinker with plenty of citrus zing and coastal salinity but it is expensive for what it is. A similar experience is easily achievable with the likes of the Smokehead range or the Scarabus range, especially the cask strength variants.

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