Diageo is to give a full-time berth in its Lagavulin portfolio to an eight-year-old iteration of the single malt Scotch whisky brand from Islay.

Diageo's Lagavulin 8 Year Old will go on permanent sale from next week

The expression, which was launched as a special edition during Lagavulin's 200th anniversary celebrations last year, will now be available permanently, Diageo said today. The company said the move follows an "incredibly positive response" to the eight-year-old.

"Our aim for the 200th anniversary was to bring Islay to life for as many people as possible," said Richard Walker, Diageo's global head of malts. "By re-releasing this bottling as a permanent offering in our portfolio, we'll be able to continue sharing Lagavulin's heritage across the globe for many years to come."

The 48%-abv Lagavulin 8 Year Old will be available from next week in the US, Canada, Taiwan, Japan and parts of Europe. It will be priced 15% below Lagavulin 16 Year Old.

Last month, Diageo pledged a GBP35m (US$46m) investment to bring two so-called "lost" Scotch whisky distilleries back into production. The distilleries, Brora and Port Ellen, were both closed in 1983. Stocks remaining from the sites, which are owned by Diageo, have fetched increasingly high prices because of demand from collectors.