Tastes

When you say peat+sherry, you got me hooked. This travel retail exclusive Laphroaig is triple matured and one of those maturations happen in a Pedro Ximenez Cask. I got to say i expected more, but still this is one fine dram. Bottled at 48%abv, Tawny. On the nose is just not that powerful. Sherry-sherry= Not that raisin dried fruit lie. Puffs of smoke. Herbal medicinal note typical from laphroaig. A little cake crest, Vanilla cream very thick remembers me of glendronach 12. Oregano and Prunes. On the palate is an atomic bomb. Amazing. So powerful and full of character. Red fruits, wine, grapes and full smoke barbecue sensation in the palate. Feels like smoking. Ashy. Peppery. Different from other laphroaigs. Sherry presence is felt. The aftertaste is a wild one. Long and refreshing, there are two aftertastes: the first herbal mouth full and when it ends it lits again like those trick candles from birthday cakes, storing some after-spice behind your teeth. Overall i think it is a fine interesting dram but a not very balanced one and not very easy to drink due to its power. Nevertheless 92 over 100 is a perfect score for it.

All laphroaig are good. Having said that, i find this one too much alike the 10yo. It has higher abv and should have improved the taste but as i said before is almost the mirror of the 10yo. On the nose: Islay lovely peat, English sauce, Herbal, Oregano, Salt and a Typical laphroaig note: fresh can of tenis balls. On the palate is a more refined laphroaig, Oranges, Pepper, Some tofee in it and a dim Peat note. Finish is short and salty. Overall this is a very good dram but could be better. 91 over 100 is a solid score for this one.

A new Lagavulin is always wonderful news. But this time they got into the pop culture by releasing this "Offerman" edition, in honor of Nick Offerman a tv series famous character who is widely known for drinking Lagavulin. Lagavulin even made a series of "Offerman's documentaries" that you can find in youtube. But the real conclusion that this whisky left me is that this is the second recognizable whisky in the world. What do i mean by this? Well, i have often said that we, whisky enthusiasts, are not as wine master sommeliers, that can recognize a wine and its vintage year with a blindfold; but if you have 10 whiskies in a table and one of them is a Macallan, you probably wouldn't guess which expression it is, but you would definitively recognize the macallan, because Macallan always smell like a Macallan. That has happen to me with Lagavulin. Lagavulin's prefumed peat aroma is recognizable easily. It is different from the "tar" of Ardbeg, the "Fresh can of tennis balls" from Laphroaig, the heather from Highland Park and the toffee/salt from Talisker. Therefore, you can guess that a whisky is a lagavulin by only perceive its aroma. Having said that; lets get into business. Bottled at 46%abv, golden color. The Nose is perfection. Complexity. It starts with a Heathery peat. Then i got Fire; actual fire, this is the first time i got this in a whisky. Fondant; That lagavulin tar/ peat. There is a sweetness to it After the first sip, it becomes meringue, AMAZING. In has become sugary in a beatitul way. The vanilla cake note is so accurate and clean. Lemon pie. But the palate fails to deliver, without been bad. Sour prunes, a little watery (strange for 46%abv), vanilla and some saltiness. Aftertaste is great. Amazing and mild, Not overly peated but the aftertaste sensation of peat and ginger is beautiful. Mild ¿¿gunpowder??; Grassy peat, hay. Overall, Lagavulin did a great job here. Most new markets will buy this just because the "Offerman" marketing strategy, and then, they will be hooked. Great dram, 92 over 100. Sláinte!

When betting on buying good whisky without evee tasting it before, it doesn't get any safer than picking a Lagavulin. Their whiskies are always amazing and elegant. I have had quite a few of their "Distiller's Editions", and this 1995 expression (16yo, bottled in 2011), is a little less peaty and much more sweet. Bottled at 43% abv On the nose: Fresh oranges, perfumed Peat, a Citric overall aroma. Grapefruit and Chocolate fudge. On the palate, it is a little watery. Chocolate and vanilla. Mild pepper. Meat. Aftertaste is just amazing. The best part. Peat, Salty. Mouth numbing. So pleasant, so refined. Powerful Peat. Ashy and full of Spiciness. Overall this is a great dram. All the sweetness from the aroma and palate dissapears in the aftertaste to show the powerful peatiness from it. Nice experience. 92 over 100.

A beautiful new travel exclusive, the king of Islay delivers a 10yo expression, which might seem young for some people, but peat heads such as myself know that 10 years old is a nice age for smoky whiskies. Bottled at 43%abv On the nose, pretty complex for a 10yo: spent matches, iodine, vanilla sweetness, "shoe store", sea foam, very maritime; oysters. On the palate it is as nice, vanilla, fried pork, vanilla milkshake (i swear) and smoke. Aftertaste is mild filled with spices, oregan, english sauce for barbecues and salt. Overall this would make a good entry to islay whiskies for those who have never tasted one. For more experienced whisky drinkers it is a nice new member od the family but it wouldn't surprise me if people prefer the 16yo. My score for it is 85 out of 100.

If you ever want to buy a good whisky, without having tried it before, to make a safe bet, you can always trust a Lagavulin Distiller's edition. This review is for the 2018 expression, distilled in 2002; as always 16yo, for a lagavulin classic age statement. Bottled at 43%, amazing chesnut color. On the nose: LEMONADE. WOW. this is pure lemonade. With hints of heather, peat and maybe starfruit. On the palate, things happen one moment at a time: at first, notoriously sherried, then prunes, then pepper and peat. Some Toffee and Salt. Very nice and complex. Aftertaste is beautiful: Smoke, so fancy. Refined. Ashy, bonfire and Sulphur. Spent Fireworks, spent matches. Lovely, but mostly interesting. Overall this is a great dram, as all Lagavulin Distiller's Editions....... as all lagavulins too. 92 over 100.

Game of thrones whiskies are known for been "just ok" but this one is the exception for every rule. This, as most Lagavulin whiskies, is awesome. It is even better than the "not so limited edition" Lagavulin 8yo. It is also one of the two GOT whiskies that discloses an age statement. Bottled at 46%, this is one great whisky. On the nose: Mango. Rubber. English sauce, tropical fruits. Pineapple and plastic. Nicely peated. On the palate is wonderful. It is a dish of a great meat, with salt and pepper and some side oranges. There is not a more accurate description for it. Aftertaste is also great. Peppery, super pleasant. Definitively buying one for my collection, this dram is a solid 94 over 100, a young but delicious Lagavulin that can easily be an alternative to the classic 16yo. Sláinte!

Hell of a ride this one. This is like taking the scariest most savage rollercoaster. If you ever come near this dram, take my advice, let it rest. For at least 15 minutes. As a Lagavulin hardcore fan, this one has the most difficult aroma of them all, and smelling it right away will make you run from it. Waiting is the key here. Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color. Ok lets talk about the nose. It is rare. It seems the Pedro Ximenez Cask has been defeated and relegated to a supporting role. It takes too long for the PX flavors and aromas to get out. My notes: Meat. Like a meat shop. A bloody, raw piece of meat. The sherry influence mixes with the spices and the peat to make it a rubbery, meaty aroma. Salt, Olives. It is not a lovely aroma, its a raw, kitchen like, one. The it changes into a Maritime aroma. This is so different from any other lagavulin. A dim toffee note appears after a couple minutes. Pork. Aromatic peat after 10 mins. Sherry emerges after 15 mins giving this dram a perfumed complexity. Conclusion of the nose: 21/25. It raised from a 17 to a 21 by waiting. It wasn't good, but it grows and improves just by letting it breath. On the palate it is much better. Very salty; Pepper, sea weed, Meat, Sulphur. There is some toffee for a small second. PX just adds a special bite. The more you wait, the better it gets. Aftertaste is long and unique. Not necessarily in a good way. Not bad either. This dram has confused me. Smoke. Salt, meat, english sauce. Barbecue sauce. The sauce from the chicken nuggets. Overall this dram is an experience, a very "sui-generis" one. My final score for it (and i say "final" because it has changed a lot from the start to the end of this review), is 90 over 100. If it were 87 it would also be fair for it, but for complexity, experience and capability to improve over time, the 4.5 star is ok.

A very young Lagavulin, this 8 year old expression is pale straw in color and looks inoffensive, but then it crashes your nose and palate and you know things got heavy. 48%abv, pale straw color (as most young islay's whiskies) On the nose is powerful. Perfumed peat. Heather, fresh can of Tenis balls. Toffee. Prunes. Limoncello, fresh Lemonade (with seeds and all), Tequila (agave). Quite interesting. On the palate is a punch in the face. Nothing off putting, just raw power in your tongue. Peat. Salt. Toffee. Black pepper. Aftertaste is super long. Heathery peat, smoke. In conclusion, this feels a lot more like and ardbeg rather than a Lagavulin. Still great flavor and aroma, it can only be enjoyed by experienced peat heads, since it is too powerful. Feels like a whisky intended for a specific target of people. Luckily for me, i am part of that target of people. 91/100.

Very good whisky. I have waited a lot to experience this one and it did quite live to the expectation. On the nose is beautifully peated. Very very very peated. Smoke everywhere. After searching a while for more aromas, i found (maybe i forced myself to find more things on it): tobacco, some brown grasses, and sea weed. Beatiful aroma. On the palate is very pleasant, with a caramel mixed somewhere, but it main flavor is pepper and ASHES. yes, ashes. I loved the experience. Medium bodied, with wood and nuts, finish is pleasant with a full smoke sensation like when you exhale a cigarrete or a cuban cigar. Overall it is a great whisky, 97 over 100, king of islay.