1966 Lagavulin

(backblip)

Lagavulin Warehouse, Islay, 10:30am

We got given a tour of Lagavulin and a warehouse tasting as a gift. We were booked on the 9:30am tour, it was not dissimilar to other whisky distillery tours. The warehouse tasting I can highly recommend.

Run by Ian McArthur who has worked at the distillery for a wee while, from when they got given 4 drams a day - one at 8 o'clock, one at 10, one at 2 o'clock and another at 4. This is Ian in the photo, holding up what looks like wee but is actually a whisky which sells for £60-80 a dram.

We tasted;

a 'full proof' clear 70%
a 10 yr old
a 16 yr old
a 21 yr old
a 32 yr old
and a 1966 48 yr old

The group we were with became noticeably more chatty by the time we got to the 21 year old whisky, and almost unable to leave their seats by the time we reached the 48 yr old.

So at 11:30am we emerged from the dark, coolness of the cellar into the bright light of the morning, completely incapable of doing anything. Unlike me, Andy had taken very small sips and was able to drive after we had walked and then eaten our picnic lunch in the car. We went to the beach and slept it off, got sunburnt, went back to the hostel and swam again in the freezing sea.