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Lagavulin whisky

Lagavulin is a Diageo-owned distillery on Islay’s south coast, founded in 1816 and known for peated single malt. The name is pronounced lah-gah-VOO-lin.

The 16 Year Old (43% ABV, £72.95 at Master of Malt) is the core bottling. The Distillers Edition (43% ABV, £89.96 at Master of Malt) is the same spirit finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, and the 8 Year Old is a younger bottling at 48% ABV. Around them sit the annual 12 Year Old Special Releases and festival bottlings, where stock and prices vary more between shops.

Peat is the house style, and our peat tags reflect the distillery’s house style rather than a measurement for each bottle. Much of the range clears the retailers’ free-delivery thresholds; the 16 Year Old often does not, so compare delivered prices. If the 16 is gone, see whiskies like Lagavulin.

For its history, see Lagavulin on Whiskipedia. Prices are the best current in-stock offer from the UK retailers we check (how we compare prices).

41 full-size bottles (50cl to 1 litre) in stock, with the best current price from the UK retailers we check.

Lagavulin distillery's white warehouses and tall chimney across the bay, the name painted in black on the wall
Photo: Whiskipedia.

Known for

The flavour families that most often turn up for Lagavulin, based on its available bottles.

A guide to the house style rather than a promise: individual releases can differ.

About the distillery

Region
Islay, Scotland
Founded
1816
Status
Producing
Capacity
3.2 million litres of pure alcohol a year (stated capacity, not actual output); as recorded October 2026. Number 68 of 169 by stated capacity.
Stills
4 (2 wash, 2 spirit)
Owner
Owned by Diageo (since 1927); as recorded October 2026
Say it
lah-gah-VOO-lin
Notable
Doig pagoda roof (original), Coastal site
SMWS code
111, the number on Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings (SMWS code decoder)
Visitor tours
Open to visitors; Classic Distillery Tour from £22 (producer's page, checked November 2026). See distillery tour guide.
Visitor rating
4.6 out of 5 (1114 reviews); TripAdvisor, October 2026
Travel Index
Rank #31 in Scotland (Highly Commended Tier), score 72.2/100. Milroy's Travel Index.

Read the full history on Whiskipedia

Secondary Market Barometer

28,807 lots sold · £7.6m hammer total

How Lagavulin bottles have traded at Scotch Whisky Auctions, Whisky Auctioneer and Whisky Hammer between May 2011 and October 2026. Hammer prices exclude buyer's premium, VAT and delivery, except that a Whisky Hammer price includes 20% VAT when a VAT-registered business sells the lot.

Trading volume
#9Among the most tradedof 181 distilleries by lots sold
Bids per lot
20.5Average biddingWhisky Auctioneer only, against 20.5 across all distilleries
Median hammer price
£140.00average £264.95, pulled up by the top lots
Independent bottlings
1%of lots (407), the rest official bottlings (28,400)Median hammer: official £140.00, independent £260.00
Highest hammer prices
BottleSoldHammer
Lagavulin 1980 SMWS 111.12026£6,000.00
Lagavulin 1991 200th Anniversary Single Cask 25 Year Old2026£4,300.00
Lagavulin - 40 Year Old (1979) The Syndicate2021£4,050.00
Most often sold
BottleLotsMedian
Lagavulin 16 Year Old1,466£50.00
Lagavulin 8 Year Old 200th Anniversary1,179£41.00
Lagavulin 9 Year Old Game of Thrones 'House Lannister'960£45.00
Top independent bottlers
BottlerLotsMedian
Murray McDavid87£350.00
Cadenhead52£420.00
Master of Malt51£100.00

Past auction results, not a valuation or a guide to future prices. Figures compiled 12 November 2026.

Before comparing a hammer price with a shop price, add the fees: buying whisky at auction vs retail works through them. Auction medians for many brands have fallen since their 2021 and 2022 peaks, as what 1.6 million auction lots show about whisky prices sets out.

Questions

What is the cheapest Lagavulin whisky?
The cheapest Lagavulin whisky is Lagavulin 8 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (8 years old, 48% ABV, 70cl), at £55.02 from Master of Malt. That is £59.97 delivered to the UK mainland for one bottle. Next cheapest: Lagavulin 16 Year Old (£72.95) and Lagavulin Distillers Edition Double Matured (£89.96).
How much does Lagavulin whisky cost?
Lagavulin whisky costs from £55.02 to £2,450.00, with a median of £299.00 for a full-size bottle (50cl to 1 litre). The dearest is Lagavulin 200th Anniversary Islay Single Malt Scotch 25 Year Old Whisky.
What is the oldest Lagavulin whisky you can buy?
Lagavulin 200th Anniversary Islay Single Malt Scotch 25 Year Old Whisky, at 25 years old, from £2,450.00.
Is Lagavulin 16 peated?
Yes. Lagavulin 16 is an Islay single malt with a smoky, peated style. Lagavulin describes the 16 Year Old as rich and smoky. It is bottled at 43% ABV.
What is the difference between Lagavulin 16 and Distillers Edition?
The 16 Year Old is the core age statement, bottled at 43% ABV. The Distillers Edition is finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks after its initial maturation, a finish that tends to add dried-fruit sweetness to the peated spirit. Both are part of the standing range rather than one-off releases.
When was Lagavulin founded?
In 1816, by John Johnston, on Islay’s south coast, where the distillery still stands. It merged with a neighbouring distillery in 1836 and later became part of the Distillers Company, the forerunner of today’s owner Diageo. For the full history, see Lagavulin on Whiskipedia.
Is Lagavulin 8 younger than Lagavulin 16?
Yes. The age on a Scotch label is the age of the youngest whisky in the bottle (Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, reg. 12), so everything in the 8 Year Old has spent at least eight years in oak and everything in the 16 at least sixteen. The 8 is bottled at 48% ABV and the 16 at 43% ABV.