Originally Posted by
jbcarioca
Lagavulin is another Diageo corporate product, marketed as if it is the real thing. Bowmore, the first legal distillery on Islay, has some quite excellent ones. Caol Ila does also, but both of those have a less phenolic taste than does Lagavulin. Port Ellen is one of my personal favorites. Although the distillery shut down in 1983 some of the old casks are still being bottled and sold. They vary widely by bottling, but I have never met one that I did not love.
I am a fan of Double Black, because at US$40 per litre it makes an affordable everyday "Islay" even though it too is just another Diageo, thus has much in common with Lagavulin.
I do miss the pre-Diageo Lagavulin and Laphroaig, which after all had much common lineage including being in adjoining towns. They still win competitions but they've lost a great deal of character IMO.
Maybe I just prefer non-multinational products when I am paying a premium price. Pretentious, moi?
I think describing 'Lagavulin' and 'Laphroaig' as being from adjoining towns is really stretching the definition of towns
This is a small island with associated population levels. I think settlement or houses best describes the few houses you find around each distillery. I struggle even to think of the largest settlement on the island, Bowmore, as a town.
Try Ardbeg if you are looking for something non-corporate? We got a great, very personal tour of Ardbeg on the second Island Do, for the very early arrivals.