Lagg Kilmory

Lagg

Origin

Islands (Scotland)

Type

Single Malt Whisky

Barrel

Bourbon

Age

No Age Statement

Alcohol

46°

Value

60 points

About the product

If you ask Graham Omand, Lagg's current Distillery manager, what his ultimate goal is with Lagg single malt, he replies on the website that he hopes it will eventually become heritage. And that he is particularly proud to be able to help build that. The foundation stones have indeed been laid for a long history of Lagg whisky, and this expression, the Kilmory, is one of them.

Kilmory, named after the village where the distillery stands, is one of the first two official bottlings released by the distillery on the Isle of Arran, in 2023. It is the edition that gives the purest taste of Lagg's spirit. It was matured entirely in ex-bourbon casks. The base is barley of the Concerto variety, malted to a peat content of 50ppm. Their specific yeast strands and fermentation time create a full, rich flavour and fresh profile. Of course, the peat also does its job as an undertone. This is how Lagg defines the house style, and the ideal dram to discover what they stand for.

On the nose, you get heather, smoke and burnt citrus, a particularly inviting combination. On tasting, you get an initial explosion of fruit of all kinds, which then turns into subtle campfire smoke and a long finish. In that finish, all the previous stuff comes back: citrus, smoke, vanilla. A dram to get warm from on a chilly winter evening, when the sun is about to set.

About the brand

Lagg Distillery is one of those many new kids on the block in whisky land. It was only launched in 2019 and belongs to the Isle of Arran Distillers group, which also runs Lochranza Distillery. Both distilleries can be found on the Isle of Arran, on the west coast of Scotland and a short distance from Glasgow. A one-and-a-half-hour drive and a short ferry crossing and you're on the island, which is particularly recommended if you're ever in the area. Lochranza Distillery can be found in the north of the island and is known for its lighter, fruity and non-turfed single malts, marketed under the Arran name. Lagg Distillery is in the south of the island and was established specifically to enable the production of firmly-turfed single malts. Looking to the future, it was immediately built quite large, with a maximum capacity of 750,000 litres of production. By 2024, effective production of around 500,000 litres is targeted.

Lagg Distillery is beautiful to visit. What immediately stands out when you are there is the large orchard that has been planted: 3,000 apple trees are now growing there, and the intention is to eventually make apple brandy there. The malt used is surfed to a content of 50ppm and 6% of it is currently from grain grown on the island. During production, a cloudy wort is made, which creates extra flavourTogether with the descending lyne arms and rapid distillation, this produces a grassy, vegetal new make spirit that matures nicely.

The first official bottlings have since appeared on the market: The Kilmory (46%) matured in bourbon casks and the Corriecravie (55%) received a beautiful sherry finish. Both are well worth discovering, and the further evolution of the distillery will prove particularly fascinating in the coming years.