Lagavulin has just sweetened things up a bit with the release of its 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the distillery’s first new permanent expression in nine years.
Aged in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks for 11 years, the expression brings peat smoke into balance with sweetness drawn entirely from oak and malt. Crafted with heavily peated malt and local Islay water, the spirit undergoes careful fermentation in wooden washbacks to build depth and texture, followed by distillation through Lagavulin’s four distinctive squat, pear-shaped copper pot stills. This measured process produces a full-bodied, structured new make, allowing peat to remain central through maturation, while layers of sweetness emerge in balance with Lagavulin’s signature smoke.
“Sweet Peat reflects careful cask selection and deliberate pacing,” said Dr. Stuart Morrison, Diageo Master Blender. “On the palate, it opens with a gentle sweetness and salinity before bonfire smoke and oak spice come into focus. Notes of honeyed malt and toffee apple build through the mid-palate, finishing long with lingering peat smoke, dark chocolate, and soft vanilla.”
“Pronounced smoke is a defining element of Islay Scotch, albeit one that can feel polarizing to some drinkers,” added Jesse Damashek, Senior Vice President of Whiskey at Diageo. “Sweet Peat presents peat in a way that tastes more approachable, while still delivering the depth and complexity long associated with Lagavulin.”
Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky is available for $69.99
