Lagavulin has operated on Islay’s southern coast since 1816, though records show unlicensed distilling on the same site even earlier. The distillery has a reputation for producing bold, smoky, heavily peated whiskies with a deep, sometimes oily complexity. For much of the 20th century, Lagavulin was primarily a blending malt, but its profile broke through to a wider audience after the 16-Year-Old was included in Diageo’s Classic Malts of Scotland series.