Lagg 6 Years Old Small Batch Quarter Cask: Peat Smoke from Small Casks

Six years of peat from the south of Arran

Lagg Distillery, on the south coast of the Isle of Arran, has released the Lagg 6 Years Old Small Batch Quarter Cask, its third Small Batch for markets around the world. The single malt is peated to 50 ppm, spent six years fully in quarter casks of American oak and is bottled at 56% ABV. It is non chill filtered and keeps its natural colour. Lagg belongs to Isle of Arran Distillers.

The age is the interesting part. Lagg only filled casks with its first heavily peated spirit in 2019, so six years here means whisky from the distillery's very first years.

What a quarter cask changes

A quarter cask holds 125 litres, against roughly 200 litres for a standard bourbon barrel. For this release, used bourbon barrels were taken apart and rebuilt as these smaller casks, and Distillery Manager Graham Omand chose the ones that went in. The smaller the cask, the more oak each litre of whisky touches. The wood works harder, and the flavours grow denser.

After two releases from rare sherry casks, Palo Cortado in 2025 and a Manzanilla sherry finish this year, Lagg now puts active American oak at the centre. The tasting notes show it: vanilla and toasted coconut sit right next to the smoke.

Nose, palate and finish

Lagg describes the colour as pale gold with straw highlights. The nose opens with sweet peat and creamy butterscotch, then toasted oak. Under the smoke come citrus peel, orchard fruit and sea spray, along with charred driftwood and a fresh herbal note.

The palate is full bodied and oily. Vanilla fudge comes first, then earthy peat smoke with warming oak spice and cracked black pepper. Grilled lemon, toasted coconut and honeyed malt follow. The long finish stays warm and smoky, with embers and a salty sea note that fade into sweet vanilla and fresh citrus.

In the distillery's words

Graham Omand, Lagg's Distillery Manager, on the new release: "We love seeing Lagg Single Malt in this more concentrated form. The quarter casks bring all of the flavours we know and love into sharper focus." In his view the oily, robust core of Lagg stays clearly in place.

The third Small Batch release

At the centre of the range stand the Lagg Kilmory Edition and the Lagg Corriecravie Edition, which show the distillery's character through two opposite ways of maturing. Each Small Batch release has put a different cask in focus: first the Lagg Small Batch Palo Cortado in 2025, then the Lagg Small Batch with its Manzanilla sherry finish this year, and now the quarter cask.

Price and availability

The Lagg 6 Years Old Small Batch Quarter Cask comes in a 70cl bottle at 56% ABV. Its recommended retail price is around €102 (£85). It is on sale now from specialist whisky shops in selected markets worldwide. You can find the Lagg 6 Years Old Small Batch Quarter Cask on Spiritory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Lagg 6 Years Old Small Batch Quarter Cask?

A single malt from Lagg Distillery on the Isle of Arran, peated to 50 ppm. It matured for six years in quarter casks and is bottled at 56% ABV, non chill filtered and with natural colour.

What is a quarter cask?

A small cask that holds 125 litres. Lagg's were rebuilt from former bourbon barrels. More wood contact per litre strengthens the influence of the oak.

What does it taste like?

The nose shows sweet peat, butterscotch, citrus peel and sea spray. The palate brings vanilla fudge, peat smoke, black pepper and grilled lemon, and the finish is long and smoky.

How much is it and where can I buy it?

The recommended retail price is around €102 (£85). It is available from specialist shops in selected markets worldwide and on Spiritory.