‘The Adventure of a Lifetime’: Lagavulin Honors ‘Islay Icon’ With Just 18 Bottles of This Rare Scotch Whisky
Lagavulin honored Iain McArthur after he announced retiring from his position as warehouse manager. Just 18 bottles of a rare scotch commemorating the occasion were released. (Photos: Lagavulin/Facebook)
On December 20, Whisky Magazine reported that an “Islay icon” was retiring: Iain McArthur of Lagavulin. McArthur spent over 50 years working in whisky and rose to fame for his contributions at Lagavulin as the Warehouse Manager. To commemorate his retirement, Lagavulin unveiled a special single malt, with just 18 bottles available.
“Being a part of the Lagavulin family has been the adventure of a lifetime, but now I’m ready for a change of pace,” McArthur expressed to Whisky Magazine regarding his choice to retire from the industry.
The expression is an 18-year-old Lagavulin single malt that was filled to cask by McArthur and matured in second-fill Manzanilla sherry casks. The whisky was bottled at 58.7% ABV and hosts a suggested retail price of £350 ($447.70 USD) a bottle.
McArthur’s Lagavulin offering.
McArthur’s first job in the whisky industry was at Port Ellen Distillery. He eventually moved to Lagavulin and was a jack-of-all-trades of sorts. At Lagavulin, McArthur would cut peat, oversee casks and facilitate tasting sessions for distillery visitors.
In a piece titled “Iain McArthur: The Wise Guy,” Whisky Advocate shared some of McArthur’s tales from working at Lagavulin. Ever the jokester, McArthur recounts a time he painted a beard on an employee who passed out at the distillery after having a bit too much to drink.
After fifty years in the industry, McArthur is now moving on to new horizons. Yet he couldn’t leave without drawing one final whisky offering.
“At 18 years old, this bottling brings back fond memories for me, enjoying a dram and celebrating moments in my life. I hope everyone that loves this distillery as much as I do gets to enjoy it,” McArthur concluded.
In October 2022, Lagavulin unveiled a collaboration with the actor Nick Offerman. Offerman’s claim to fame is from his role in the comedy series “Parks and Recreation.” In July, Whiskey Raiders chose the whisky with a suggested retail price of $79.99 in a selection of celebrity whiskeys that are actually worth tasting, and you can read more about it here.
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