Lagavulin 8 Years
The little brother of the 16: younger, bolder and bottled at a higher strength. Smoke with a tea-like aroma, briny sea air, and beneath it, orange and chocolate. A Lagavulin to sip neat and to mix with.
Why younger doesn't mean less here
Lagavulin 8 Years was released to mark the 200th anniversary of the distillery on Lagavulin Bay, founded in 1816, and has remained in the range ever since. It matures for eight years in European and American oak casks and is bottled at 48%, considerably higher than the 43% of the 16 Years.
The shorter maturation and higher strength give this Lagavulin a different character. Where the 16 is deep, rounded and sweet with sherry, the 8 is livelier: the peat smoke is aromatic and reminiscent of tea, the sea air dries your nose, and beneath the smoke are sweetness, chocolate and orange with salty notes. It is still a wonderfully full-bodied Lagavulin, but more direct.
At a glance
Smoke, sea air and orange
Tea smoke and sea
Aromatic smoke with a tea-like scent, alongside dry, maritime aromas that make your nose tingle.
Sweet, chocolate and orange
First sweet, then chocolate and orange, with salty, smoky notes that linger. Brighter and fresher than the 16.
Smoky and briny
A long, smoky finish with salt and a sweet core. The 48% ABV gives it a warm glow.
Tasting notes for Lagavulin 8 Years neat. A few drops of water bring out the orange and chocolate.
Three ways to enjoy the 8 Years
The 8 is bold enough to take water and smoky enough to stand out in a cocktail. That’s where it differs most from the 16.
Neat, then with water
Pour 30 ml into a tulip glass and taste it neat first. Then add three or four drops of cool water: at 48%, it opens up noticeably, and the orange emerges from beneath the smoke.
Tasting glasses →Smoky highball
40 ml Lagavulin 8 with 120 ml very cold soda water in a tall glass full of ice and a strip of orange peel. The bubbles lighten the smoke; a surprisingly refreshing way to drink Islay whisky.
Highball recipe →Alongside the 16 Years
If you have both bottles, pour 20 ml of each side by side. You’ll immediately taste what eight extra years of aging and sherry casks do to the same smoke.
About Lagavulin 16 →Cocktails with Lagavulin 8
The 8 Years is the Lagavulin to mix with: strong enough to come through, and you only need to use a little.
Penicillin
Blended Scotch with lemon and honey-ginger syrup, topped with a 10 ml float of Lagavulin 8. You can smell the smoke with every sip.
Highball
Whisky and cold soda water over lots of ice. With Lagavulin 8, it makes a smoky, salty long drink.
Rusty Nail
Scotch and Drambuie over ice. With a peated malt as the base, the honey and smoke make an intriguing duo.
Smoky Old Fashioned
Whisky, sugar, and bitters over a large ice cube, with some Lagavulin 8 in the base and an orange zest.The right glass for Lagavulin 8 Years
A tulip glass to bring out the smoke and fruit, a tall glass for the highball, and a heavy tumbler for the cocktails.
More Lagavulin flavors
Lagavulin
Where it all began. Visit the brand page to learn all about Lagavulin: its origins, varieties, and classic cocktails.
Go to Lagavulin →
Lagavulin Feis Ìle 15 Years
Festival bottling with a Moscatel de Málaga finish. Peat smoke, toffee, and cherries; taste with water.
View Lagavulin Feis Ìle 15 Years →Everything about whisky: the types, best-known brands, and cocktails.
Questions about Lagavulin 8 Years
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Lagavulin page or browse our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Lagavulin →What percentage alcohol is in Lagavulin 8 Years?
What's the difference between Lagavulin 8 and 16?
Why is there a Lagavulin 8 Years?
Should you add water to Lagavulin 8?
Can you make cocktails with Lagavulin 8?
Buy Lagavulin 8 Years
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Lagavulin 8 Years online at Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy anything through these links; it won't cost you anything extra. No 18, no alcohol.
