Tastes

I purchased two bottles of Lagavulin 8yo to celebrate the birth of our baby girl, based 100% on "Isla" being engraved in the bottle. I'm finishing one bottle tonight while the second waits for her wedding day, graduation, or something of that sort. I've enjoyed every glass of this stuff over the past year and a bit, but I'll be shocked if she does. This is the smell I rinse from my hair the morning after a good bonfire. Not cardboard or garbage, but good clean smoke. At 48% there's too much water in this bottle to have a good mouth feel, but I'm not sure if many could handle these flavors amped up past where they are. Most of the qualities I enjoy about scotch are found in this bottle and other than the lack of colour, none of the bad (it doesn't taste like piss). I'd be happy to find Lagavulin 8 at retail again in the next 20 years, but if not, then I look forward to cracking my second bottle on Isla's big day..whenever that may be.

One of the first stand out bourbons for me. Ive had much better since but it's still pretty high up there on my list considering it's reasonable price and availability. Brown sugar kind of sweetness on the nose with a fairly heavy dose of Ethanol. Thick and syrupy mouthfeel. The Brown Foreman Banana note is definitely there with a slight nuttiness. A good amount of heat numbs the mouth and works through the sinuses. The finish isn't long but it's full of the stuff I associate with good bourbon. Dark fruit, oak, leather. This Is the ideal post BBQ bourbon and I plan to always have a bottle on my shelf.

The nose on this is amazing. Brings me back to early days of JB White old fashioneds without the ethanol. Somewhat flat on the Palate but a huge step up from the white label Beam SB. Honey sweet with a nice amount of spice on the tongue. 3.75 in the best kind of way