Lagavulin 10 Year

Little disappointing, cold smoke, little fruity, little sweet, bittery finish.

Liquid smoke, leather, beef jerky marinate and something chemical as a backdoor way to great sweetness. A beginning of a great adventure!

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.

Strong peatiness on the nose, with notes of leather and tobacco, manly like the guy from the Marlboro Country but without the stench of horse poop. Underneat, however, there is a sweet soul that shows up, of caramel, nutmeg, crispy with sesame and licorice. Stratified and complex, a rough but buttery man like a cross between John Goodman and Ed Harris in Westworld. In the mouth there are smoked herrings wrapped in leather, chewing durettes perhaps, with a lot of licorice, caramel, a drop of honey, cereals, salted butter, ripe apple. Touch of ginger. What on the nose struggled a little to emerge, here blends in harmony, with a slight pre-eminence of the sweetest notes, but remaining fiercely Lagavulin although at a more subdued gradation. Fairly long finish, used ashtray soaked with sea water, cereals, hazelnuts. Lower grade and youth could do the damage, and instead this Lagavulin defends itself well (which one does not do?) and it also delivers a certain complexity while being highly drinkable.