Lagavulin 16 Year Reserve (Islay) Whisky

Situated in a small bay near the south coast of Islay, Lagavulin stands near the ruins of Dunyveg Castle. From here 1,000 Islaymen set sail to fight alongside Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314, and in this bay the Macdonalds maintained their power base as Lords of the Isles until finally driven out by the Campbells three centuries later.

Lagavulin legitimately claims to being one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Distilling on the site is thought to date from as early as 1742. In the late 1700s it is believed that there were up to ten illicit stills operating in the district. By the 1830s only two distilleries remained in the bay. In 1837 these distilleries amalgamated to form Lagavulin. At this stage the distillery was under the ownership of the Graham brothers and James Logan Mackie.

Aged in oak casks for at least sixteen years, this much sought-after single malt has the massive peat-smoke that's typical of southern Islay - but also offering a dryness that turns it into a truly interesting dram.