Lagg distillery is a
single malt Scotch whisky distillery located near the village of
Lagg on the southern coast of the
Isle of Arran
The Isle of Arran (; ) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at . Counties of Scotland, Historically part of Buteshire, it is in the ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. Owned by Isle of Arran Distillers, the distillery opened in 2019 and is known for producing heavily peated whiskies.
History
The original Lagg distillery operated briefly in the early 19th century before closing in 1837.
The area was historically known for illicit distilling due to its remote geography and limited excise enforcement.
In 2016, Isle of Arran Distillers announced plans for a second distillery on the island to produce peated whisky. The facility, designed by Denham Benn Architects, includes a green roof and panoramic visitor centre.
Construction was completed in early 2019, and the first spirit run occurred that spring. The distillery officially opened to the public in June 2019.
In 2022, Lagg distillery released its first single malt.
In 2024, Lagg partnered with Dougarie Estate, Caledonian Climate, and Angus Estate Plant to restore 325 hectares of damaged
peatland
A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...
on Arran. The project, funded by Peatland ACTION, is expected to sequester over 16,500 tCO₂e over 55 years.
In June 2024, Lagg's core range debuted in the U.S. through Hotaling & Co.
Production
Lagg uses heavily peated
malted barley
Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...
(~50 ppm phenols) and operates with two copper
pot stills.
Inaugural releases
The first single malts were released in 2022:
* Kilmory Edition: ex-bourbon cask, non-chill filtered, 46% ABV.
* Corriecravie Edition: finished in Oloroso sherry casks, 55% ABV.
Visitor experience
Lagg distillery have an visitor centre with tasting rooms, a café-bar, and scenic views across the
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde, is the estuary of the River Clyde, on the west coast of Scotland. The Firth has some of the deepest coastal waters of the British Isles. The Firth is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre, Kintyre Peninsula. The ...
.
See also
*
Scotch whisky
*
List of whisky brands
This is a list of whisky brands arranged by country of origin and style. Whisky (or whiskey) is a type of Distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage made from Fermentation (food), fermented grain mashing, mash. Different grains are used for ...
References
Further reading
* Adamson, Gregor. ''Arran Water: An Island Whisky History''. Nicholas Brealey, 2019.
* Smith, Kenny. "Marking Arran’s Whisky Traditions." ''Scottish Field'', 10 May 2019.
* Barnard, Alfred. ''The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom''. Harper’s Weekly Gazette, 1887 (facsimile reprint 2007).
External links
Official website
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Distilleries in Scotland
Scottish malt whisky
Buildings and structures in North Ayrshire
2019 establishments in Scotland
Isle of Arran