Lagavulin 8 years – Uncover the history behind the liquid. In 1742 there were at least ten illicit stills at Lagavulin, and it would be another 74 years until local farmer John Johnston founded the first legal distillery, in sight of Dunyvaig Castle. Its name may have changed over the years, but the quiet power of peat and smoke that pervades this masculine malt has not. Islay, the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, is probably best known for its peaty, smoky whiskies. Some say they are the best in the whole world. Home to eight working distilleries, Islay definitely has the process of making the stuff down to a fine art.