Lagavulin announced the release of Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the Distillery’s first new permanent expression in nine years. 

Aged in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks for 11 years, Sweet Peat brings peat smoke into balance with sweetness drawn entirely from oak and malt, revealing notes of toffee apple, vanilla and gentle spice while remaining unmistakably Lagavulin in character.

“Sweet Peat reflects careful cask selection and deliberate pacing,” Dr. Stuart Morrison, Diageo Master Blender, said in a news release. “On the palate, it opens with a gentle sweetness and salinity before bonfire smoke and oak spice come into focus. Notes of honeyed malt and toffee apple build through the mid-palate, finishing long with lingering peat smoke, dark chocolate, and soft vanilla.”

Awarded a Gold Medal at the 2025 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition, Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat is shaped by the Distillery’s deliberately slow, traditional approach to whisky making. Crafted with heavily peated malt and local Islay water, the spirit undergoes careful fermentation in wooden washbacks to build depth and texture, followed by distillation through Lagavulin’s four distinctive squat, pear-shaped copper pot stills. This measured process produces a full-bodied, structured new make, allowing peat to remain central through maturation, while layers of sweetness emerge in balance with Lagavulin’s signature smoke.

Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat offers those curious about Scotch and longtime followers a new way to explore the depth and complexities that lie beyond Lagavulin’s signature smoke. Its more rounded profile brings forward nuances shaped by cask selection and maturation, speaking to those who value the details that set one expression or distillery apart. 

Sweet Peat also aligns naturally with the ways whisky is enjoyed today, from a thoughtfully chosen pour at a boutique hotel bar to unhurried moments at home. Best enjoyed neat or on the rocks, its versatility extends to both classic and contemporary cocktails, including the Smoky Sweet Old Fashioned and the Sweet Peat Tea, which accentuate the whisky’s softer edges and subtle sweetness.

“Pronounced smoke is a defining element of Islay Scotch, albeit one that can feel polarizing to some drinkers,” Jesse Damashek, Senior Vice President of Whiskey at Diageo, said. “Sweet Peat presents peat in a way that tastes more approachable, while still delivering the depth and complexity long associated with Lagavulin.”

Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky is available at select spirits retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $69.99 for 750mL. 

Smoky Sweet Old Fashioned 

(A subtly spiced, orange-forward take on the classic)

1.25 oz Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky

0.25 oz Allspice Dram

2 dashes Orange Bitters

Expressed Orange Peel

Garnish: Orange Peel Spiral

Glassware: Rocks Glass

Sweet Peat Tea 

(A Penicillin-inspired serve that layers honey-ginger syrup, fresh lemon, and black tea to create a light aromatic cocktail)

1.25 oz Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Single Malt Scotch Whisky

0.25 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup

0.25 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

0.25 oz Strong Black Tea (cold)

1 dash Walnut Bitters

Garnish: Lemon Peel Spiral

Glassware: Coupe Glass

Read more: Lagavulin Launches New ‘Beyond the Smoke’ Campaign

ABOUT LAGAVULIN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Founded in 1816, Lagavulin has been distilling Single Malt Scotch Whisky on Islay, an island off Scotland’s west coast, for more than two centuries. Its portfolio spans renowned expressions, including Lagavulin 16 Year Old, the brand’s iconic core marque, and Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat, the brand’s latest permanent expression launched in February 2026. For more information, visit https://www.malts.com/en-us/lagavulin.