The Islay-based Lagavulin Distillery has announced the launch of its first new core range release in nine years, which will initially debut in the US.

Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat (43% ABV) is a single malt Scotch whisky matured in first-fill American oak ex-Bourbon casks.

The latest release is said to offer both newcomers to Scotch whisky and long-standing followers of the brand a fresh way to explore the depth and complexity that lie beyond Lagavulin’s signature smoke. Its more rounded profile brings forward nuances shaped by cask selection and maturation, appealing to those who value the details that set one expression or distillery apart.

Shaped by the distillery’s deliberately slow, traditional approach to whisky-making, Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat has been crafted using 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 throughout maturation, while layers of sweetness emerge in balance with Lagavulin’s signature smoke.

Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat is said to deliver notes including bonfire smoke, toffee apple, honeyed malt, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak spice.

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

Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat will be available later this month from selected specialist retailers in the US and via malts.com, for a RRP of $69.99.