Showing posts with label Lagavulin 16. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lagavulin 16. Show all posts
Friday, October 13, 2017
Whisky Review: Lagavulin 16 years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
It's a classic that I just had to return to and review once more.
Best,
Jason
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Whisky Review: Lagavulin 8 years single malt Scotch
Scotch Whisky Review
Lagavulin 8 years
Category
Single Malt
Region
Port Ellen, on the Isle of Islay
Age Statement
8 years
Closure
Cork Stopper
ABV
48%
Limited Edition
20,000 bottles released to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the distillery.
Price
Varies widely, but in New Hampshire I paid $60. Reasonable but I have seen some very high prices elsewhere in excess of $100 (not reasonable).
Wood Management
Aged exclusively in refill bourbon casks. No ex-sherry casks involved.
Without water, the aromas that lift out of your glass are delightful. Minty, hickory wood, seaside bonfire, hint of banana and lemons too. Add water and these aromas are blurred.
Palate (diluted)
You really have to add some water given the 48% ABV. With a little water you will get big time salt, loads of hard, coarse salt, custard and of course smoke and peat. There are green minty notes with wet wood smoke too.
Finish (diluted)
Dry zing of black peppercorns, dry ginger, camphor, menthol and phenolic notes abound.
General Impressions
This is a bold expression from the Lagavulin distillery that serves up lively peat and smoke, lemon zest and banana, plus some wood char. It is really comparable in taste to Ardbeg 10 or Laphroaig Quarter Cask.
Lagavulin 8 years is a youthful, robust peat bomb in a glass. Do not think of this whisky as a younger version of Lagavulin 16 years. They are very different whiskies.
Definitely peat and smoke fans of Islay malts will enjoy, but if Islay malts are not your cup of tea, then probably best to avoid this expression and opt for something that is gentler like an easy going blend (Islay Mist, White Horse, etc.). Personally, I prefer a more refined taste of the 16 year old Lagavulin, but that is a different malt all together given the aging in sherry casks and much older malts.
Definitely peat and smoke fans of Islay malts will enjoy, but if Islay malts are not your cup of tea, then probably best to avoid this expression and opt for something that is gentler like an easy going blend (Islay Mist, White Horse, etc.). Personally, I prefer a more refined taste of the 16 year old Lagavulin, but that is a different malt all together given the aging in sherry casks and much older malts.
Thanks for reading!
Best,
Jason
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A Recent Single Malt Scotch Tasting
My friend George called a couple of weeks ago and told me about a single malt scotch whisky tasting taking place at a local pub. "Was I interested?" A rhetorical question if there ever was one. For $30 we would sample six single malts. A deal if there ever was one. Mind you, I can rationalize the price of any whisky tasting.
So, I turned up at the pub, the Lunar Rogue Pub, a tiny, noisy, little bar with beat up, dark stained wooden tables and chairs. Don't get me wrong, I like the place. They have about 240 different single malts and blends by the glass to choose from. Great way to taste at a reasonable price before pulling the trigger and picking up a bottle. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the place.
So, as you can see, not a fancy establishment, but that's fine with me. You've got your mix of college students knocking back glasses of draft, full of excitement and dreams for the future that they anticipate (upon graduation), sitting next to weary, scotch sippin' civil servants and working stiffs like myself who have met the future and realized the dreams, well . . . they are just dreams. While you sip your beer or scotch depending upon your stage of life, you can take in the framed pictures, beer ads embossed upon sheets of rusted tin, and other wall-mounted knick-knacks, harkening back to another time when jobs were plentiful, a guy had a regular job, but could afford a house and a two week vacation for his family, and his wife didn't have to work. A time of lime green Ford sedans, white vinyl car seats and Peter Frampton blaring on the radio, in the hot summer heat.
In any event, it was a rainy Tuesday night, a week ago, when I arrived for this scotch tasting. George was already there, no surprise, chatting with the owner, Frank. Frank is a guy that stands about six feet tall, of considerable girth, and his knowledge of scotch is commensurate with his size. I sit down and note there are only about ten other people in an event which hoped to have about thirty. Clearly, a failure of attendance, which fortunately has no bearing on the tasting. Bread and water was provided to restore one's palate in between samples.
Glen Scotia 12 year old
This Glen Scotia single malt we sampled was not impressive. The nose was weak and seemed off. The taste was not much better. A medium bodied, oily malt that was creamy but little else. Glen Scotia has been inconsistent in terms of quality and this was no stunner. The distillery is located in Campbeltown, Scotland, which at one time had among the most distilleries. What happened? Greed. Initially, Campbeltown single malts were used for blending and enjoyed great sales, but gradually, blenders preferred Speyside single malts and so sales started to dip for Campbeltown distillers. Prohibition created bigger problems too. Campbeltown distillers solution was to cut costs, age their scotch shorter periods of time and sell it in higher volume. The result was a very poor product. Harsh, strong, oily spirit that caused Americans (a major export market) to associate anything with the name "Campbeltown" with poor quality. Campbeltown went from a place with the most distillers in Scotland to nearly the least. Glen Scotia is one of the few remaining. What I tasted was not harsh, but weak and instantly forgettable.
Auchentoshan 12 year old
As with all scotch tastings, Frank selected lightest to the most robust. Next up was Auchentoshan 12 year old.
I had heard and read mixed reviews of Auchentoshan. The serious whisky critics griped that the Auchentoshan distillery produced weak, plain white bread whisky having little to no complexity or substance of flavor. I have a friend, James, who had purchased this bottle in the past and disliked it intensely. So, I was not expecting much. I was delightfully surprised. The aromas were pleasing but that other than that I can't remember much else. As for the taste, it was soft, mellow and malty with some lemon and sweet melon. The finish was a little smokey and there was no peat to speak of. This is a Lowland malt and probably a very good representation of that region. There was marshallow, wagon wheel treat with lots of malty flavor that I really appreciated, as did others. The price for a bottle is also very reasonable. I am adding this one to my list of single malts to purchase in order to do a proper tasting note.
Dalmore 12 year old
The Dalmore 12 year old single malt scotch enjoys a good reputation and strong following among scotch fans. Unlike Auchentoshan, everything I have heard or read has been positive in regards to The Dalmore.
Lots of vanilla on the nose. It had more weight in the mouth, which made it a logical next step in the tasting event. Texture was sweet, smooth but drying too. Taste was sweet fruits, vanilla and some oak, but a tad bitter towards the finish. I recall there was a good clarity of the flavors. What I mean it was not rounded as you typically note in a blended scotch whisky. Actually, The Dalmore is the core single malt of a great economy blended scotch, Whyte & Mackay. This blended scotch, has rounded, sweet flavors of gentle fruits like melon and peaches.
So, what was the overall impression of The Dalmore? I found it a little bit of a let-down. That bitterness I mentioned earlier really stuck with me and couldn't ignored. However, in all fairness to this single malt, I need to acquire a bottle and taste it under more controlled circumstances, without a palate that had just sampled two previous single malts. So, the jury is still out, but so far in this tasting, the Auchentoshan is the clear winner.
The Macallan 12 year old
This is very popular in the United States and has steady, dependable sales in Canada. A lot of people enjoy this single malt. In fact, it is one of the 'mainstream' malts. I am not a huge fan. It's not bad. There are no flaws, but not much that fascinates me. For me, this is of course, an over-the-top sherried dram with some orange peel, oak and some smoke. One dram is fine but it is not one that rings my bell. Let's move on.
Highland Park 18 year old
We are nearing the end of the scotch tasting. The second to last single malt is the illustrious Highland Park 18 year old, a wondrous single malt that I always read and hear good things about, not that I need anyone's opinion on this one. I have studied the magic of this one. A honey, heather infused explosion upon the palate provides multi-layered flavors to ponder. One of the longest, smokiest finishes available anywhere. A previous, more detailed review is available on this blog in the archives (August 2009) or just use the search function in the top left hand corner.
Lagavulin 16 year old
The final single malt of the evening served up by Frank was Lagavulin 16 year old. An Islay single malt that needs no introduction. I have reviewed this malt in detail elswhere on this blog, like the Highland Park, and again would refer you to it.
At the tasting, I enjoyed the sweet peat and smoke as only Islay can do it. It was wonderful as always. For the others present, it was new to them and they were unsure what to make of it. No one disliked it, but rather were quite fascinated by the peaty architecture of this spirit.
. . .
The favorite of all who attended that evening was the Highland Park. For me, the big surprise was the Auchentoshan 12. A very reasonably priced, Lowland single malt which is often over looked or dismissed by critics as a light-weight region because of its more subtle flavors, lacking soaring peat, smoke and pepper that seem to be key to so many highly rated scotches. There is something to be said for subtlety. I encourage you to give it a try!
. . .
Whyte & Mackay Special
After the tasting was officially over, Frank treated George and I to two 50 ml of Whyte & Mackay 'Special' blended scotch whisky. This is a great economy blend, as I mentioned previously. Very smooth, rounded flavors, no bite (a prerequisite of most blend fans), packaged in honey, ripe red grapes, sherry and a little hint of smoke. The finish is short, so short, that it commands another sip! Dangerous stuff! I like it a lot. So, if you are ever looking for a change in a blended scotch whisky, please give consideration to this standard bottling of Whyte & Mackay.
Cheers!
Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2010. All rights reserved.
Jason
So, I turned up at the pub, the Lunar Rogue Pub, a tiny, noisy, little bar with beat up, dark stained wooden tables and chairs. Don't get me wrong, I like the place. They have about 240 different single malts and blends by the glass to choose from. Great way to taste at a reasonable price before pulling the trigger and picking up a bottle. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the place.
So, as you can see, not a fancy establishment, but that's fine with me. You've got your mix of college students knocking back glasses of draft, full of excitement and dreams for the future that they anticipate (upon graduation), sitting next to weary, scotch sippin' civil servants and working stiffs like myself who have met the future and realized the dreams, well . . . they are just dreams. While you sip your beer or scotch depending upon your stage of life, you can take in the framed pictures, beer ads embossed upon sheets of rusted tin, and other wall-mounted knick-knacks, harkening back to another time when jobs were plentiful, a guy had a regular job, but could afford a house and a two week vacation for his family, and his wife didn't have to work. A time of lime green Ford sedans, white vinyl car seats and Peter Frampton blaring on the radio, in the hot summer heat.
In any event, it was a rainy Tuesday night, a week ago, when I arrived for this scotch tasting. George was already there, no surprise, chatting with the owner, Frank. Frank is a guy that stands about six feet tall, of considerable girth, and his knowledge of scotch is commensurate with his size. I sit down and note there are only about ten other people in an event which hoped to have about thirty. Clearly, a failure of attendance, which fortunately has no bearing on the tasting. Bread and water was provided to restore one's palate in between samples.
Glen Scotia 12 year old
Auchentoshan 12 year old
As with all scotch tastings, Frank selected lightest to the most robust. Next up was Auchentoshan 12 year old.
I had heard and read mixed reviews of Auchentoshan. The serious whisky critics griped that the Auchentoshan distillery produced weak, plain white bread whisky having little to no complexity or substance of flavor. I have a friend, James, who had purchased this bottle in the past and disliked it intensely. So, I was not expecting much. I was delightfully surprised. The aromas were pleasing but that other than that I can't remember much else. As for the taste, it was soft, mellow and malty with some lemon and sweet melon. The finish was a little smokey and there was no peat to speak of. This is a Lowland malt and probably a very good representation of that region. There was marshallow, wagon wheel treat with lots of malty flavor that I really appreciated, as did others. The price for a bottle is also very reasonable. I am adding this one to my list of single malts to purchase in order to do a proper tasting note.
Dalmore 12 year old
The Dalmore 12 year old single malt scotch enjoys a good reputation and strong following among scotch fans. Unlike Auchentoshan, everything I have heard or read has been positive in regards to The Dalmore.
Lots of vanilla on the nose. It had more weight in the mouth, which made it a logical next step in the tasting event. Texture was sweet, smooth but drying too. Taste was sweet fruits, vanilla and some oak, but a tad bitter towards the finish. I recall there was a good clarity of the flavors. What I mean it was not rounded as you typically note in a blended scotch whisky. Actually, The Dalmore is the core single malt of a great economy blended scotch, Whyte & Mackay. This blended scotch, has rounded, sweet flavors of gentle fruits like melon and peaches.
So, what was the overall impression of The Dalmore? I found it a little bit of a let-down. That bitterness I mentioned earlier really stuck with me and couldn't ignored. However, in all fairness to this single malt, I need to acquire a bottle and taste it under more controlled circumstances, without a palate that had just sampled two previous single malts. So, the jury is still out, but so far in this tasting, the Auchentoshan is the clear winner.
The Macallan 12 year old
Highland Park 18 year old
We are nearing the end of the scotch tasting. The second to last single malt is the illustrious Highland Park 18 year old, a wondrous single malt that I always read and hear good things about, not that I need anyone's opinion on this one. I have studied the magic of this one. A honey, heather infused explosion upon the palate provides multi-layered flavors to ponder. One of the longest, smokiest finishes available anywhere. A previous, more detailed review is available on this blog in the archives (August 2009) or just use the search function in the top left hand corner.
Lagavulin 16 year old
The final single malt of the evening served up by Frank was Lagavulin 16 year old. An Islay single malt that needs no introduction. I have reviewed this malt in detail elswhere on this blog, like the Highland Park, and again would refer you to it.
At the tasting, I enjoyed the sweet peat and smoke as only Islay can do it. It was wonderful as always. For the others present, it was new to them and they were unsure what to make of it. No one disliked it, but rather were quite fascinated by the peaty architecture of this spirit.
. . .
The favorite of all who attended that evening was the Highland Park. For me, the big surprise was the Auchentoshan 12. A very reasonably priced, Lowland single malt which is often over looked or dismissed by critics as a light-weight region because of its more subtle flavors, lacking soaring peat, smoke and pepper that seem to be key to so many highly rated scotches. There is something to be said for subtlety. I encourage you to give it a try!
. . .
Whyte & Mackay Special
Cheers!
Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2010. All rights reserved.
Jason
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A Winter's Night!
Well, winter has arrived in Atlantic Canada. Above is a picture of my snowbound abode. I just got in this evening from snowblowing the driveway. Temperature is colder than a witch's tit and a wind that causes snow to pelt my face at a most unpleasant angle. Ah! winter. You lush, you white bearded tormentor. I am ready to do battle, armed with my L.L.Bean parka, fleece lined jeans and trusty snowblower. I happily take up arms against the hostile elements of howling wind, driving snow and cold temperatures. Happily? Yup, because my reward, once the driveway is cleared of snow by my weary snowblower, is waiting inside the house. In the basement . . .
Well, the driveway has been snowblown, my walk is shoveled, the wife and children are asleep, it's 10pm and time to come in. The blizzard continues outside. I hear the gentle ping of freezing rain pellets against the window panes adjacent to the front door. I shake off my parka, hat and boots, leaving a massive puddle of snow on the tiled entry way. I head to the basement, kickback in the recliner, pull a blanket over me and reach for some Lagavulin 16yrs.
The Lagavulin just doesn't warm me up enough. I need something more intense, warmer. I reach for the Knob Creek. Now we're talking. 9 yr old Kentucky bourbon warms me up big time as I kick back in the lazy boy. Big rounded flavors of sweet corn, rye, brown sugar and candy cane make for the perfect whisky on this cold night.
This is just a quick post. Tomorrow or the next day I hope to finish my tasting note for Royal Salute, a 21 year old blended scotch whisky. Royal Salute is one of those ultra premium blends and what I have been pondering is whether or not it is worth the price.
Until then cheers!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Review: Lagavulin 16 yr Old - The Best Islay Single Malt!
This love affair with Lagavulin started this evening. While I had started to enjoy more peat flavors in my blended scotch, I had not found a single malt that I could say I enjoyed. Well, all that changed this evening. I am currently in Prince Edward Island for some meetings. So, I drove four hours, had a little dinner and went to a very lame social mixer. Left that promptly with a couple of friends in tow and headed to the club house bar (the resort has three golf courses!). So, we are sitting at the bar and I am surveying the collection of liquor bottles in pyramid formation against a mirrored wall, and not seeing much in the way of scotch except for three bottles, Glenfiddich 12 year old, a bottle of Cragganmore and Lagavulin. Well, I had the Glenfiddich a million times in the past, and as for the Cragganmore, I was seriously considering it when I started thinking about the Lagavulin.
Lagavulin is one of those single malt scotches that I read about on whisky blogs that scotch aficionados go on about. Basically people who know their scotch, really praise this one. So, having that brain wave wash over my strong body, but weak in spirit, I pointed to the Lagavulin and told the bartender to pour me a double. (A single is simply not enough needed in order to formulate a tasting note, which by the way, I feverishly scratched out between snorts of this heavenly stuff).
I nosed it at first and was surprised at how sophisticated and refined the smoke, peat and spice (I'm thinking nutmeg). Nosing this, I knew immediately that I was in for a treat. Nothing on the nose threw off a scent of cheap alcohol. Lots of smoke even while I sat. If you walked into the room, you would be searching for the roaring fire of tree branches and peat ("an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter" - according to Wikipedia) producing billowing smoke. Well, there is no fire, just my glass, so why don't you sit down at the bar next to me and my friends and let us go on a wonderful journey.
Palate
With some trepidation I take a sip, expecting to be disappointed, as I have been with another famous Islay scotch, Laphroaig. However, there is no disappointment. I take my sip, hold it, rolling it around, the bartender stares at me pensively (probably wondering how much i will tip him) and contemplate a most wondrous scotch tasting experience. On the palate, a silken liquid of considerable viscosity bathes my palate in a gently sweet wood smoke, moving to mint, peppermint and cool menthol. The liquid is warming. There is no heat, burn or roughness of any kind. Have no fear, you can drink this "neat" (no water or ice need apply to this job!). I also detect some green olive with the red pimento in the centre coming through. Oh, this is glorious stuff. The stuff that dreams are made of. I ask the bartender, tarbender for a napkin and a pen. I have to capture this moment without delay. My friends shake their head. The bartender looks on fearing maybe I am writing a note of complaint to his manager, but oh no, I am writing this very tasting note, documenting what I am picking up on the nose, the palate and of course, the finish!
Finish
More smoke baby! This palate of mine is smoking like a Motley Crue stage or Studio 59 at midnight with all the dry ice. Yeah, I am tasting wood smoke, peat, like a nice menthol cigarette, and that sweetness like that first kiss! oh yeah! Follow that with brine and sea salt and I know I have just downed the best damn scotch I have had in a very long time. It lingers too. The finish lingers for quite a while after I down it. This is no cheap two buck chuck finish.
I did not like peated scotch very much prior to tasting this. I associated Islay with heavy peat married with rubbing alcohol. I now stand corrected. Islay scotch can be very enjoyable. I am shocked and in a state of wonderment as to how good this scotch is.
There are so many web reviews of this scotch and I do not think any are negative. So much praise comes for good reason. It is expensive but an incredible treat well worth it. My double Lagavulin cost me $17! Well, ahh that was the first one. . . As for the tip, the barman was relieved when he found out I was writing notes for this review on the napkin he supplied.
Cheers!
Jason Debly
© Jason Debly, 2009 - 2011. All rights reserved.
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