Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé!
April 23, 2015
Lagavulin, two regulars
Not the first time we’ll try these two, in fact it seems that we’re doing this every year.
Lagavulin 16 yo (43%, OB, +/- 2014) One of the most emblematic age-stated malts that I like following year after year. Sixteen years, tell me about an age statement! Colour: full gold. Nose: I’ve always heard stories about how Lagavulin 16 changed, becoming less this and more that, but if indeed it may have lost just a bit of profoundness when compared with the stupendous first 16s from the late 1980s-early 1990s, to me the flag’s still very high. In this case I rather find more dry smoke than before, more walnuts Manzanilla-style, more earthy/smoky pu-erh tea and more dry tobacco. That’s quite funny because last year, I had found it a little smoother and rounder than before. Forgot to mention ‘an old fisherman’s boat’. The boat’s old. Mouth: tobacco, salt, bitter oranges, walnuts, black olives, mezcal, even ‘ideas’ of Clairin, that fat Haitian white rum that’s so phenolic and briny, rather less rubber than usual (there really isn’t much), more black olives but sweeter ones, if that’s possible. In short this feels like ‘home’. Finish: rather long, very salty, with more walnuts and tobacco, then this earthy tea in the aftertaste. Salted tea. Comments: Mr Lagavulin Sixteen, I remain your fan. Yours sincerely, -Serge. SGP:367 - 90 points.
Lagavulin 1998/2014 'Distillers Edition' (43%, OB, lgv 4/503) Another one that I’m always trying to follow. Colour: dark gold. Nose: it seems to me that the ‘DE’ got closer to the ‘16’ in style, with maybe a little less wine influence, and a general profile that would rather be on ‘the 16 plus oranges and a touch of maple syrup’. So it’s marginally more aromatic and rounder than the 16… Although, I have to say that after a few minutes, there’s rather more Havana tobacco and hay/farmyard that are coming through. But globally, as I had noticed with the 1997/2013, this baby rather got cleaner and straighter. Not that there’s anything to complain about, mind you. Mouth: maybe a touch of gingery oak in the arrival, then this maelstrom of all things from the sea plus tobacco and bitter oranges. Some bitter chocolate too, a drop of crème de menthe and liquid tar, then herbal teas and more tobacco. Little sweetness from the PX, which is great. The body’s not huge. Finish: long, appropriately bitter and tobacco-ish, with drops of seawater in the aftertaste. Plus pepper, quite a lot of it. Comments: very, very lovely dram, but this time, I’ve enjoyed the straighter side of the 16 a little better. That didn’t happen every year. SGP:457 - 88 points.
That’s all, folks, there isn’t much new Lagavulin at WF Towers these days. (and thanks Fabien!)
Today: BLUES. What would go better with some Lagavulin than the great Lagavulins? The band gathers several well-known whisky personalities such as our friends Tim Hain and, as a guest star, Colin Dunn. And on harmonica, Alan Glen whom I've already seen playing with the Yardbirds ten years ago in London. So please enjoy this greatly 'Lagrange-y' track titled... Whisky!
Check the index of 
