For nearly a decade, Lagavulin has held steady with its lineup. The last time the storied Islay distillery shook things up was back in 2016 with the Lagavulin 8 Year Old. Now, after all that time, they've rolled out something different enough to turn heads: Sweet Peat, an 11-year-old single malt that's joining the permanent collection.
What makes this release noteworthy isn't just the wait between additions to their core range. It's that Lagavulin is messing with the formula that built their reputation. For those who know the brand, that trademark blast of smoke has always been front and center. You either loved it or you didn't. There wasn't much middle ground.
Jesse Damashek, who serves as senior vice-president of whiskey at Diageo, the company that owns Lagavulin, put it plainly: "Pronounced smoke is a defining element of Islay Scotch, albeit one that can feel polarising to some drinkers."
That polarizing quality is exactly what Sweet Peat aims to soften. According to Damashek, the new expression "presents peat in a way that tastes more approachable, while still delivering the depth and complexity long associated with Lagavulin."
The Making of Sweet Peat
The distillery didn't abandon its methods to create this whisky. The process still follows the slow, traditional approach that's been used for generations. They start with heavily peated malt and local Islay water. The spirit ferments in wooden washbacks before making its way through four pear-shaped copper pot stills.
What changed was the aging. Sweet Peat spent 11 years sitting in first-fill American oak ex-Bourbon casks. Those particular barrels are what brought the sweetness into play, layering in notes of toffee apple and vanilla that weren't as prominent in other Lagavulin expressions.
Dr. Stuart Morrison, a master blender at Diageo, described what drinkers can expect: "Sweet Peat reflects careful cask selection and deliberate pacing. On the palate, it opens with a gentle sweetness and salinity before bonfire smoke and oak spice come into focus."
He continued: "Notes of honeyed malt and toffee apple build through the mid-palate, finishing long with lingering peat smoke, dark chocolate, and soft vanilla."
The peat is still there. It hasn't been stripped out or watered down. But it shows up differently, sharing space with flavors that make the whole experience less of an assault and more of a conversation.
Who This Whisky Is For
Diageo is positioning Sweet Peat as something that fits into modern drinking habits. They mentioned serving it at boutique hotel bars and during quiet moments at home. The language suggests they're thinking about people who want quality without the ceremony, who appreciate good whisky but don't necessarily want to feel like they're back in school studying tasting notes.
The company noted that the more rounded profile "offers those curious about Scotch and longtime followers a new way to explore the depth and complexities that lie beyond" the signature smoke of the Islay brand.
That's marketing speak for casting a wider net. The hardcore Lagavulin fans who live for that peat bomb aren't going anywhere. But there's a whole group of drinkers who've been intimidated by Islay malts or tried them once and backed off. Sweet Peat seems designed to give those people another shot at the category.
How to Drink It
The simplest approaches work fine here. Neat or over ice both let the whisky speak for itself without getting in the way. But Diageo also put together cocktail recipes, which is interesting given that single malts aren't usually pitched as mixer material.
They've suggested two drinks specifically: the Smoky Sweet Old Fashioned and the Sweet Peat Tea, which takes inspiration from the Penicillin cocktail. The idea is that these serves highlight the softer edges and subtle sweetness rather than trying to hide them.
Whether someone actually wants to spend seventy bucks on cocktail whisky is another question. But the fact that Diageo is even suggesting it shows they're serious about making this expression more versatile than what typically comes out of Lagavulin.
The Bigger Picture
This isn't the first time Diageo has tried to broaden appeal for one of its whisky brands. Last year, Buchanan's introduced Green Seal with a similar goal: an evolved flavor profile meant to attract new drinkers who might not have given the brand a second look before.
The strategy makes sense from a business standpoint. The whisky market is crowded, and younger drinkers especially have shown they're willing to experiment but less interested in the kind of whisky that requires an acquired taste or a substantial investment of time to appreciate. If you can keep your existing customers happy while also creating an entry point for newcomers, that's good for the bottom line.
Lagavulin also launched a campaign recently with the tagline "beyond the smoke," which aligns with what Sweet Peat is trying to accomplish. The brand clearly wants to be known for more than just aggressive peatiness, even if that's what built their name.
What's in the Bottle
Sweet Peat comes in at 43% ABV, which is slightly higher than the standard 40% but not so hot that it burns away the flavors Diageo is trying to showcase. The 11-year age statement puts it between the Lagavulin 8 and the flagship 16 Year Old, carving out its own spot in the lineup rather than competing directly with either.
The price point is $69.99 at select US retailers. That's not cheap, but it's not wildly out of line with other quality single malts that have spent time in decent casks. Whether it's worth it depends on what someone's looking for. For those who've always been curious about peated whisky but found it too much, this might be the ticket. For longtime Lagavulin drinkers, it's a chance to see what the distillery can do when it dials back the intensity without losing its character.
Final Thoughts
Nine years is a long time between core range updates, especially in an industry where limited editions and special releases seem to drop every other week. The fact that Lagavulin waited this long and then came out with something that deliberately softens their signature style says something about where they think the market is headed.
Sweet Peat won't replace the classic expressions. It's not supposed to. But it gives the brand breathing room to appeal to drinkers who want complexity without committing to the full Islay experience right out of the gate. Whether that strategy pays off will depend on whether those curious drinkers show up and whether the longtime fans stick around.
For now, Sweet Peat represents a bet that there's room in the whisky world for approachability without sacrificing quality. That seems like a reasonable gamble, especially when the alternative is staying put while the rest of the market moves forward.
