Lagavulin 10 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : Lagavulin - Islay

1st Fill and Rejuvenated Ex-Bourbon Casls

Original Bottling

Travel Retail Edition 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2019

Peated around 38 ppm

 

 

 

This 10-year-old was launched on the occasion of Lagavulin Day at Feis Ile 2019. It is aged in Bourbon casks known as "Rejuvenated", which means that the cask is burnt a second time to bring out the aromas of the wood. This is cheaper than buying new ones.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's very smooth, surprisingly so, liquid honey, limoncello, banana, a hint of vanilla, but you can still smell that it's a Lagavulin, with limestone peat, clay, iodine and smoke. Ashtray. Finally, it's quite greedy, pastry cream, tangy candy. On the palate, lemon tart, grapefruit, the influence of bourbon is very strong, a hint of salt nonetheless, spices, muddy peat. Long but fairly gentle finish, lemon zest, cashew nuts. Liquorice wood, chocolate milk. Exotic fruits, kumquat.

 

In Short, 

I'm not the first to point out the very sweet character of this Laga, to the point where you wonder if it's really Laga. Frankly, I don't find the experiment conclusive, I think the distillery loses a bit of its identity with this bottling. That said, I have to admit that the nose is very good, so I gave it a good score. The price is exaggerated; it's more expensive than the 16yo, which is much better.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Bowmore 1998 Mocha on the Deck Wemyss Malts 18 yo

 

 

 

59,3°

Distillery : Bowmore - Islay

Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Wemyss Malts 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2017

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 25 ppm

 

 

 

In my previous post, I mentioned that Wemyss Malts, a trading company founded in 2005, produced some exceptional Single Casks. This one is famous, and a fine example. Distilled in 1998, then aged for over 18 years in a single Sherry Butt, 668 bottles were bottled at cask strength. The title 'Mocha on the Deck' is no doubt there to emphasise the notes of mocha that can be found in it. Mocha is a rather tasty type of Arabica coffee from Ethiopia and Yemen.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Sherry liqueur, slightly acidic, but quite deep too, wisps of smoke, floral fragrances, it's heady, rich, earthy, marzipan, pudding, cake dough. Intense red fruits, strawberry, raspberry and gooseberry. Some spices, saffron, paprika. In the background, charcoal, asphalt, tar. Dry earth. On the palate, nectar, it's syrupy, rosewater, a hint of grenadine, but soon the spices rise, chilli, pepper, tarragon. Juicy fruits: damsons, mirabelle plums, blackcurrants. Coffee, forest undergrowth, damp ferns. Very fine balance at the end. Very powerful finish, even longer, carmine, red fruits, muscat grapes, grilled meat, on a layer of glowing coals. Cardamom in retro-olfaction. It's fresh.

 

In Short, 

It's true that I found a touch of coffee in it, but that's not by far the main flavour marker, in my opinion. It's more red fruits, with a slight acidity. But it remains very complex, deep and intense throughout. A whisky of exceptional quality, the kind you can empty your savings account for without any regrets.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                           Chet Baker - Leaving

Peat Chimney Batch Strength 002

 

 

 

57°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay

Bourbon Casks and Sherry Hogsheads Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Wemyss Malts 

Blended Malt

Limited Edition 

Bottled in 2018

Unchillfiltered

 

 

 

William and Isabella Wemyss founded Wemyss Malts in 2005. As well as a few high-quality single casks, they also bottle a number of blends of all kinds. Peat Chimney is part of their Core Range, and there are two Batch Strength limited editions at the moment, the first launched in 2017 and the second in 2019. It's a blend of peaty to very peaty single malts, almost all of which come from the island of Islay. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know which distilleries were involved, or the peat content. What we do know is that 9,000 bottles were released for sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Nice firepower, ashy peat, full ashtray, but also a touch of vanilla citrus. I read that this is a Blended, but I can only smell Ardbeg here. With a sweet, honeyed touch, fermented milk, syrupy fruit, lychee, mango, guava. It's a bit mineral, quartz, gypsum, mixed with powder. On the palate, the alcohol is well integrated, but the flavours are light, still exotic fruits, bananas, coconut, rose water, then the spices rise, it's quite strong. Pepper, ginger. The finish is a bit harsh, but long, ashy, robust and vegetal. A hint of sweetness in the aftertaste, vanilla and pastry cream. Genoise.

 

In Short, 

It's a nice blend, but I think the Ardbeg dominates. I think there's also some Bunnahabhain for the mineral character, and maybe some other stuff. To be honest, I don't really see the point of the product, but hey, there are not too many flaws, it's not expensive at all, so why not buy one occasionally?

Score : 86  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

  

                                          Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive

Redbreast 15 yo

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Midleton - Ireland

1st Fill Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Barrels

Original Bottling

Core Range 

Single Pot Still

Launched in 2005 

Unchillfiltered

Totally Unpeated

This 15-year-old was originally produced as a limited edition to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of La Maison du Whisky in Paris. The huge success that followed led Irish Distillers Ltd to include it in the regular Redbreast range. Single Pot Still, distilled three times, as is the custom, it is aged for 15 to 19 years in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks.

Let's Taste It : 

Honey, cereals, gingerbread, rum baba. Mellow, round, almost spongy. Ripe fruits, pear, peach, but soon the sherry rises. Quite woody, more fig and leather than red fruits. Salted butterscotch. Hazelnut, olive oil. On the palate, it's creamy, milky, delicately flavoured with vanilla, with a very cereal-like base, in other words, Irish. Then damsons, blackcurrants, a few spices, paprika, pepper and turmeric, ginger, quinces, fermented grapes. Quite a long finish, biscuit, more cereals, dry earth, saffron, soft caramel.

 

In Short, 

At 46° and aged in both Bourbon and Sherry, I found it very balanced, varied and more intense than the 12yo. It's a worthwhile purchase for enthusiasts, even if the value for money is a little short.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          To Be Listened While Sipping :

   

                                          London Grammar - Nightcall