49,5°
Distillery : Lagavulin - Islay
Refill American Hogsheads and Ex-Bodega European Sherry Butts
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2016
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Peated around 35 ppm
Islay bottlings in tribute to Feis Ile are always hard to find. At Lagavulin, they've been around since 2007, and none of the few I've been lucky enough to taste have disappointed me so far. Here we have an 18-year-old, the result of a blend of Sherry and American casks. It was sold as a 6,000-bottle release from May 2016.
Let's Taste It :
Cozy peat, with nougat, candied lemon, white plum, beautiful smoke that gradually grows stronger, vigorous, marine fragrances with shellfish, whelks, seaweed, razor clams. The sand of the beach, soaked in seawater. With the addition of water, the smoke expands and becomes really thick, but the fruits are not forgotten. Vanilla, fresh cream, cherry tomatoes, herbaceous hints. Dry earth, peanuts. At the end, the peat is truly imposing, but not without a certain sweetness. Gingerbread, honey, dried grapes. Tobacco leaves. On the palate, the peat becomes more spongy, muddy and grassy, with spices interfering, paprika, nutmeg, cardamom and a woodiness that verges on bitterness. Sea salt. Pleasant finish, where the citrus fruits come back a little, long, powerful, sandy, cola, sage, dark chocolate and dried fruits. Smoked tea.
In Short,
I compared my humble notes with those of Serge Valentin and Ruben, and the fact is that they have nothing to do with my feelings. So it's possible that I missed something, or that there was a mistake on the sample. However, I found this edition a little smokier than the others, which I liked, but also a little less complex, which is reflected in the note. I often find Lagavulins too sweet, but that wasn't the case here. And so much the better! The fact remains that the value for money is not great, it's even dreadful in fact, but that's a bit logical, this kind of bottle was made to be bought on the spot, in the days of Feis Ile. Several years later, the prices are extravagant.
Score : 89
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Extreme - Cupid's Dead
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