The vicarious Feis Ile sessions


May 29, 2021

The vicarious Feis Ile sessions
Today Lagavulin

Celebrating Islay and Feis Ile from Whisky Fun Towers, with carefully selected whiskies from most distilleries, while we're all dreaming of 2022...

Lagavulin's Day! Oh, how I'm missing the Lagavulin oysters (one tiny oyster drowned in 10cl of Lagavulin 16), the ladies' crab sandwiches, the bay scallops, the sample of 'Malt Mill' if it's still in the office… Oh and the warehouse tour with you-know-whom… And – just the once will not hurt – let' start this with a recent DE…

Lagavulin 2003/2019 'Distillers Edition' (43%, OB, lgv 4/508)

We've been very lazy with the DEs lately, not for bad reasons shall I add. We'll always remember the 1979, bam! Colour: gold. Nose: that's the thing with Lagavulin DE, contrarily to most other Distillers Editions, it is not that different from the regular 16, it would just feel like a 16 that's been further pushed towards sherriness. This one's really very nice, with tobacco, caraway, a touch of mustard, cigarettes, cedarwood, pinewood fire, eucalyptus… All that is well-balanced, getting even a little meaty. Ham and porcini. Mouth: a little drying perhaps, and very mentholy. Rather a lot of oak this time, thin mints, then rose jelly and muscat. Tends to become sweeter and sweeter, almost aquavity (Linie), and even a little stuffy and cloying. Maybe am I overstating this case but I do not recognise the older vintages anymore. It's PX, right. Finish: rather long and getting very leafy and even bitter. Going from sweet to dry and bitter back and forth is a little tiring. Comments: awesome nose but the bittersweet palate's a little difficult to me.
SGP:556 - 82 points.

Lg 11 2007/2021 (54.1%, Elixir Distillers 'Elements Of Islay', 1067 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: lamb's wool, grist, husk, barley, mercurochrome, bandages, hay. Boy is this close to nature! With water: same plus plaster and chalk. New sweater, leaven bread. A little elementary (ha, ha!) Mouth (neat): very sweet and creamy arrival, which is very Lagavulin. Someone's redistilled a good IPA, such as Lagunitas (well, I love Lagunitas but I'm no expert). Pear and banana cake, plus big smoke. This one's not particularly coastal, having said that. With water: more on bread and flour, with a yeasty side. Finish: medium, sweet, almost sugary. Peated pears. Comments: well, this is as close to visiting the distillery as possible, now not sure they grow pears at the Lag a' Mhuilinn. Elementary and good.
SGP:646 - 84 points.

You'll see that Angus has tried this Lg too and liked it even more. Now let's see if we've got something else… Perhaps a secret one?

An Islay Distillery 9 yo 2007/2017 (59.5%, Cadenhead, Warehouse Tasting, hogshead)

Stuff that reminds us of the festivals indeed… This is Lagavulin. Colour: white wine. Nose: raw, ethanoly, on almonds and wood alcohol. We've known some vodkas… With water: some wool coming through, porridge, amateur scones, weissbeer… Mouth (neat): once again, the inherent sweetness of young Lagavulin comes out first, it is really the sweetest distillate on the island. Pears, orange drops, limoncello – smoked. The tarter, tighter lemon juice and a salty tang. Going towards margarita, my favourite cocktail (but I'm no cocktail guy either). With water: gets very sweet again. Bonbons and sweet flour, with a touch of camphor, which would add to the whole thing. Artisan pastis, that's nice too. You just had to wait… Finish: long, with rather a lot of dill, fennel seeds, pastis, celeriac… Well that comes unexpected, better late than never. Liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: a funny young beast that took its time.
SGP:646 - 85 points.

No huge Lagavulins today, I'm afraid. Next time, I promise, by the way the new Feis bottling should arrive very soon, we'll simply add it here. And I promise we'll make our next session, which is Bruichladdich, rather extravagant. Promise.

Hold on, there was something a little wrong with the DE… Let's quickly try the latest expression, why wait?…

Lagavulin 2005/2020 'Distillers Edition' (43%, OB, lgv 4/509)

Wait, 2020-2005, that's not 16 years! But who's counting? Colour: deep gold. Nose: nice, fresher, more coastal, probably peatier, drier yet, with ashes, seaweed, a little mint, perhaps myrtle… No big sherry here, no excessive leafiness, no chocolate and coffee on the loose, no meat and mustard… So it is a cleaner DE, I would say. So far. Mouth: well, there is some leather, ginger, leaves and raisins, but that goes pretty well with the spirits sweetness. Good salt and oranges, tar. I would say we're a little closer to the 'regular' 16 years old, which cannot be bad news. Finish: good length, smoke, leather, cracked pepper, earth and mint, touch of molasses. Comments: it is not as sweetish as the '2019' and certainly less bittersweet. Rather more to my liking. Couldn't they switch to oloroso? No, I know, don't shoot, I was just jesting a wee bit.
SGP:556 - 84 points.

(Merci Lucero)

Over to Angus in Edinburgh...

Lg 11 2007/2021 (54.1%, Elixir Distillers 'Elements Of Islay', 1067 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: very coastal and pure. Lots of wet rocks, seawater, fishing nets, wet seaweed and sand. I also fine lemon juice, brine and smoked olive oil with a slightly leathery peat smoke. Classy stuff! With water: much ashier, sootier and more to do with fabrics, bonfire smoke, sea salt and brine. Simpler with water. Mouth: hot peppery peat smoke, ashes, brine, lemon juice, oysters and seawater. Very modern, pristine peated malt. Some oily tufts of sheep wool in there too along with some suggestions of coal dust. With water: smoked barley, hay loft, mercurochrome, more soot, wet rope and a bigger impression of tar and capers in brine. Finish: quite long, sharply citric on fresh lemon juice, a touch of parsley and more gutsy peat smoke. Comments: all perfectly fine, precise and excellent. Although, feels a notch simple overall for me.
SGP: 367 - 88 points.

Lagavulin 11 yo (61.5%, OB for The Syndicate?, 1980s)
A rather scarce and mysterious bottling of Lagavulin done in the 1980s, most probably for this group of private cask owners known as 'The Syndicate'. Colour: white wine. Nose: wow, another level! Hugely petrolic and full of mineral oils, sandalwood, natural tar, anchovy paste, oyster sauce, lemon infused olive oil and touches of kelp and fir wood. Superbly aromatic and 'thick'. With water: pin sharp coastal air, seawater, beach foam and wee touches of horseradish, aniseed and bath salts. Mouth: wooft! This stunning combination of petrols, oils, peat smoke, tar, TCP, iodine, embrocations, beach wood and preserved lemons in brine. Crystalline peat smoke with hints of shellfish, smoked olive oil and more impressions of pine wood again. A sense of impeccable cohesion and concentration. With water: absolutely brilliant with water. Opens spectacularly on medicines, dried herbs, salt-cured fish, tar, deep drying phenolics and a soft but huge peat smoke. Finish: long, stunning peaty, smoky, lemony, tarry and full of olive oil, seawater and more petrol. Comments: totally stunning young Lagavulin. Impeccable distillate that balances purity, precision, power, and crucially also depth. I love it!
SGP: 368 - 93 points.

Hugs to Aaron!

Check the index of all Lagavulin we've tasted so far