Lagavulin Sweet Peat is a Sweet Take on Smoky Scotch
Can you make a really smoky scotch whisky sweet? That was the goal of the latest expression from Lagavulin, an Islay distillery that is known for making very smoky, heavily peated single malts. Make no mistake, Sweet Peat is still a very smoky dram, but there is an element of sweetness that shines through, perhaps making this a single malt that even people who don’t like peated scotch might try.
Lagavulin was founded in 1816, and has been making whisky in one form or another for over 200 years. The distillery was acquired by Diageo in 1997 when the company was formed (it had been owned by Guinness before then, which became part of Diageo), and the core lineup now consists of a few age statements along with some special editions, many of which are both interesting and excellent. Nick Offerman had a longstanding partnership with the distillery over the past few years, resulting in some limited-edition whisky releases that were given secondary maturations in barrels previously used to age rum, Guinness, and red wine (that partnership has ended, according to a rep for the brand).
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Much of the whisky distilled at Lagavulin is matured in ex-bourbon barrels, a practice that is standard across the scotch whisky industry. But some of it is also aged in sherry casks, and that combination of barrels works very well with the wafts of smoke that hit your palate as you sip (Lagavulin’s peat level is usually around 35 to 40 parts per million). Sweet Peat is the distillery’s first new permanent expression in nine years—the last was Lagavulin 8 Year Old, released in 2016. The whisky spent a full 11 years aging in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks, which are known for bringing sweeter vanilla notes to the palate, and that certainly is the case here. We were able to sample this new expression, and right off the bat the nose greets you with aromas of sweet honey and vanilla. Once you get down to sipping, the theme continues with notes of maple, red apple, cherry syrup, and some citrus, but of course the peat is inescapable (it’s Lagavulin, after all), and undercurrents of beach fire, iodine, salinity, and a smoldering hearth rear their peaty heads.
According to the brand, this is indeed a whisky that is meant to appeal to “those [who are] curious about scotch,” and can be sipped neat or used in cocktails. “Pronounced smoke is a defining element of Islay scotch, albeit one that can feel polarizing to some drinkers,” said Jesse Damashek, senior VP of whiskey at Diageo, in a statement. “Sweet Peat presents peat in a way that tastes more approachable, while still delivering the depth and complexity long associated with Lagavulin.”
He’s not wrong, and at $70 per bottle this whisky is not going to break the bank. Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky is available starting this month at retailers around the country, and you can find other expressions in the lineup at websites like ReserveBar now.
