Tastes

Nose - toasted banana, powdered sugar, marshmallow, peanut, dusty corn, cherry, apple, milk chocolate, dulce de leche, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet oak, brown sugar, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - apple, cherry, banana, cinnamon, leather, allspice, black pepper, peanut, sour oak, milk chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium short with peanut, banana, leather, and sour oak flavors. It’s been a while since I’ve had a Beam product. I missed that peanuty goodness. The nose is really nice. Something like a mix between bananas foster and funnel cake with baked cinnamon covered apples on top. The palate is solid but not quite as good. The peanut note is strong, with equally strong baking spices, chocolate and disappointingly, some sour oak flavors as well. Overall, this is good bourbon. If the flavors were more well integrated, it could be great bourbon. Poured next to my Beaten Biscuits batch, the nose is better on this one, but the palate is markedly inferior. The Beaten Biscuits’ profile is much thicker and less youthful. A big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for providing the generous sample!

Nose - briny peat, ash, hay, rich malt, seaweed, almond, clove, tar, pineapple, earthy vegetal notes, light caramel, lemon pith, pencil eraser, apple, dry vanilla, musty grape, cocoa, leather, powdered sugar, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - lemon oil, smoky peat, leather, orange blossom, mint, underripe banana, yeast, almond, vanilla cream, chili pepper, toffee, milk chocolate, cereal grain, tar, brine, iodine, bitter herbal notes, decaying grass, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with deep citrus, bitter peat, cocoa, and chili pepper flavors. The final Lagavulin of my tasting series, and it’s one I’m sure isn’t worth the purchase price. But hey, it comes in a fancy black tube that lets you know it’s special and you’re special for owning it. The nose is full-bodied Lagavulin, but earthier and mustier than the 16 year. Almond, pencil eraser, and a nice rich maltiness are present as well. The palate is deeply citric, with well rounded peatiness and some grassy, underripe banana notes. This is really nice, great even, but the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. I paid around $160 for it, and there are malts I enjoy just as much or more for half the price. Honestly, I’m not even sure whether I like it more than the 16 year. It’s richer, thicker, and hotter, but I think the citrus notes on the palate are overdone and detract from the overall experience. I recommend trying this at a restaurant or snagging a sample, but don’t purchase a bottle at the going rate unless you’re a diehard Lagavulin enthusiast.

Nose - apricot, peach, fig, plum, musty grape, bread pudding, sweet peat, vanilla, toffee, blueberry, iodine, ash, brine, leather, sweet tobacco, nutmeg, clove, lemon, flint, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - grilled peach, apricot, juicy pear, sour apple, sweet peat, salted caramel, vanilla, miso, cinnamon, ash, nutmeg, clove, brine, leather, dark chocolate, cola, orange zest, lemon, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with grilled fruit, sweet peat, dark chocolate, and baking spice flavors. Another day, another Lagavulin. Life could be worse. I requested this sample primarily to compare the 2018 version against the 2019 bottle I own. Secondarily, I love peat and sherry combinations, so this gives me another excuse to taste one. The nose is really nice, as I knew it would be. The smoky peat is softer than on the 16 year, allowing juicy, grilled fruits, musty grape, and bread pudding aromas to surface. The palate is solid, but it’s a step down from the nose. Interestingly, it tastes underproofed, which I don’t remember being the case with the 2019 version. Still, there are some nice sherried fruit notes, alongside ashy smoke, dark chocolate, and citrus flavors. Now for the fun part. How does this stack up against the 2019 Distiller’s Edition? They smell very similar, although the 2018 is slightly gentler. The 2019 seems to retain more of the prickliness of its initial form. The same holds for the palate. It’s an almost imperceptible difference, but for a bit more oomph through the mid palate and into the finish. And sadly, they both veer into sour territory on the finish. This is a good example of how your palate changes over time with more experiences. At one point, the 2019 Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition was my absolute favorite dram. Unfortunately, it’s not even close anymore. This is still great whiskey, but it’s no longer outstanding to me. Accordingly, I’ll be dropping my previous score for the 2019 to align with this one. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the generous sample that enabled this comparison.

Nose - mild peat, pear, apricot, caramel, honey, apple, cinnamon, banana, vanilla cream, bacon, leather, sweet floral notes, orange blossom, decaying grass, mint, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet peat, champagne, apple, pear, honey, cereal grain, cocoa, orange zest, ginger, sweet floral notes, lemon, leather, walnut, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, grass, spearmint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with sweet peat, ginger, honeyed fruits, and baking spice flavors. The nose is juicy fruit, subtle peat, vegetal mint, and vanilla cream. The palate is smoked meat, honey-drizzled fruit, bubbly champagne, baking spice, and tingly ginger. I love a good Lagavulin. Each one I’ve tried has been either good or great. This one is closer to great, but it just barely makes the cut. The aromas and flavors are nice but not quite as deep and rich as I’d like. Nonetheless, this is really nice, and a dram I’d love to have most days. Thank you to @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous sample!

Nose - sweet peat, leather, tar, ash, brine, coffee, nutmeg, toffee, vanilla, cocoa, black pepper, honey, apple, pear, lemon zest, smoked meat, orange, tobacco, walnut, mint, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - tar, sweet peat, leather, chocolate malt, coffee, smoked meat, nutmeg, salted caramel, toasted coconut, vanilla cream, marshmallow, honey, ginger, lemon zest, chili pepper, ash, pecan, baked apple, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with chocolate malt, sweet peat, ginger, and baking spice flavors. Next up on my Lagavulin adventure is this new Offerman Edition finished in Guinness casks. Honestly, I don’t think Ron Swanson would approve. He’s a traditionalist, and the thought of his precious Lagavulin being bastardized with Irish beer would likely infuriate him. Kidding aside, the nose is classic Lagavulin, but much sweeter with pronounced chocolate, marshmallow, and coffee aromas. The palate is similar. The Lagavulin peat, tar, and leather flavors are present, but there’s a nutty, toasted coconut chocolate note that reminds me a bit of one of those Starbucks frappuccino monstrosities. Overall, this is tasty, but I prefer the standard 16 year. As expected, this release is more youthful, and the sweetness verges on cloying. Nonetheless, it’s a nice experiment. The beer finish works pretty well. A huge thank you to @pkingmartin for gifting me his bottle. It’s dessert Lagavulin.

Nose - almond, fresh cut flowers, apple, bright peat, smoke, tar, apricot, pear, ash, honey, leather, black pepper, light caramel, vanilla, cardamom, mint, orange zest, lemon, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - lemon and lime zest, ginger, fresh peat, smoke, ginger, chili pepper, allspice, clove, brine, caramel, honey, vanilla, bitter herbal notes, tar, ash, leather, spicy oak, sour apple, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with bitter citrus, bright peat smoke, ginger, and chili pepper flavors. I’m switching gears from American whiskies and will be covering a few Lagavulins I’ve been stashing for a while. This is the youngest, and the one I expect to like the least. However, it’s actually pretty good. The young Islays generally seem to pleasantly surprise me. The nose is youthful and effervescent with fresh peat, citrus, tar, and caramels. Not nearly as elegant as the 16 year, but the Lagavulin DNA is intact. The palate is bright and citrusy, with more fresh, smoky peat, and tar with a ginger and chili pepper zing. Overall, this is flawed but good. The flavors aren’t fully formed and the finish veers into sour, bitter territory, but I could see a place for this on my shelf. And I like this better than Wee Beastie. If you’re looking for a young, fresh, and volatile Islay with just a hint of sophistication for around $60 a bottle, this may be worth a pickup. Thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing the sample!

Nose - smoked meat, mesquite, apple sauce, butterscotch, marshmallow, orange zest, vanilla, cherry, floral and vegetal notes, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - mesquite, vanilla cream, baked apple, smoked meat, cherry, butterscotch, orange blossom, lemon, sweet floral notes, nutmeg, cinnamon, sour oak, black pepper, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with mesquite, smoked meat, and citrusy apple flavors. The nose is BBQ with a side of apple sauce. There are some floral, vegetal, and citrus notes as well, but not much else. The palate is a bit better, with baked apple and citrus accompanied by salty, thirst-inspiring smoked meat. This has the unfortunate task of following my tasting of the excellent Whiskey Del Bac single cask Lost Lantern bottling. As expected, they share many characteristics, but Dorado is but a shadow of its cask strength counterpart. While not bad, it tastes overdiluted and young, with a rather short, unceremonious finish. If I hadn’t tasted the Lost Lantern yesterday, I may have liked this more. But alas, it’s just better than average for me. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the sample!