Finlaggan Old Reserve Islay Single Malt

I had this at a free tasting and actually decided to purchase the bottle for $30. If for nothing else, I want to support my local distributor, and I can experiment with cooking using an Islay whisky. This new edition just came out recently. Rumors are that the older version was Lagavulin’s 5 year-ish abortions that were not up to Lagavulin’s standards. This one did not remind me of Lagavulin at all. NOSE: Weaker-than-Ardbeg, but reminds me of Ardbeg 10. Campfire embers, earthy. Not much else going on that’s pleasant. Plastic and chalky. Definitely young. With a few drops of water, some green fruitiness and slight herbalness comes out. Nothing meaty or medicinal that makes me think Lagavulin or Laphroaig. Not very briny. PALATE: Well-rounded and balanced earthy peat with overripe green apples. Not stewed; just starting to rot on the branch. I’m thinking of Bowmore. Some liquorice, honeysuckle, vanilla. A little bit of citrus, but not enough to point me towards Caol Ila. Smooth and oily with some surprising complexity. FINISH: Bitter. Lemons. Now it’s like immature Caol Ila. Not offensive; I’m not making ugly faces. Just unrefined, like my use of the word “abortion.” Okay perhaps that’s offensive, but I don’t care. VERDICT: This bottle is worth the money just to try to guess what distillery allowed Vintage Malt Whisky Company to bottle their bad stocks, but ban them from revealing the identity. Also, the palate is quite nice. Just don’t bother smelling it, or try savoring the aftertaste. My thoughts are it is closest to Bowmore, but Bowmore clearly has no shame in bottling their abortions – they even call it “Legend.” And this whisky is better than Bowmore Legend. Maybe Ardbeg or Caol Ila? It could still be Lagavulin. I mean, it tastes nothing like it, but that could be why Lagavulin got rid of it. MARK: 67/100.