Lagavulin 8 Year

Raw sharp liquor taste

A pleasant surprise by Lagavulin, but obviously a young one. This is a great breakfast dram with its hint of toast, cereal, peat, and salty glazed ham. I'd rather drink the 16 though, if there was a choice.

One of those weeks where the weekend could not come soon enough. I wanted to slowly sip a scotch and slowly decompress. I opened this sample to facilitate that need. A sweet and peaty nose is immediate (ahhhh I am back on Islay). Smoked pears, apricot, honey roasted peanuts are all combined to maintain the sweet peatiness. A bit longer and the marine brine and honey-roasted peanuts come into play. As you further dig, a touch of buttercream can be detected. The aromas bring me visions of a beach bonfire on a late crisp and cool summer evening. The first sip and sense, for me, is texture. The texture of this whisky is thin and oily. A spry youngness is obvious with the sharp bite. Again, sweet and smokey are detectable amongst black pepper and citrus lemon zest. This finishes long with spice and ash. Black licorice, spearmint and some drying oak tannins remain behind. The last sensation is a warming of the soul, like a cup of soup on a cold winter's day. Much sweeter with a touch of water quelling the youthful energy and making this a bit more enjoyable. The youngness of this is refreshing and quite apparent, The smoke and sweetness counterplay reveals a maturing sophistication. Somewhat akin to Kilchomann Machir Bay and less similar to the older 16 year old sibling. This does not disappoint. [Dry Glass: Bonfire, the next morning][$58][88/100][Tasted: 7/14/17]