Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2015

In line you're always being asked, what's the best. The best car, the best house, the best steak, the best watch, the best choice or whatever else. I think we obsess over this idea and I think at times it leads up to chasing after unicorns that we'll simply never find. Or it creates this chase that has no end because there is no end to such a chase. Is this the best whisky I have ever had? Well, it's certainly the one I've liked the most and had enough to feel confident in that. Do I own a bottle? Nope. Will I ever? Nope! But it is the most enjoyable whisky I can recall. All based on memory here folks. nose - a neck pour of this brings out what I'll reference as sour milk, and off putting note if there ever were one, but not here. This is a sign of something magic about to come about in a lagavulin . A sign of umami and peat and smoke and amazing sherry casks starting their process of uncoiling. Mike references this as more of a mushroom and maybe a raw uncooked one is fair. As it uncoils or when having it once opened up, there's this old school grape sherry element as I call it that's distinct, strong, and yet doesn't remotely try and over power the malt. Smoke is HUGE, and assertive and that lagavulin malt isn't hidden at all. Every aspect of this nose is exceptional. Alcohol at 59.9% isn't anywhere to be found. It's however certainly rich. Taste - Where to even start. Obviously, you let something like this spend 20-50 minutes uncoiling. Just rich and creamy mouth feel that hits you with waves of smoke and peat and the most masterfully crafted sherry notes ever. But then you start getting notes of mint, tobacco, vanilla, deep dark coal, bitter burnt BBQ notes and then chocolates and dried figs. Overall - I can't explain this whisky in smell and taste notes alone. It might be the biggest and boldest lagavulin ever made. It might be the most refined basically 60% whisky I've ever been near. It also has among the most amazing sherry casks ever chosen, but they very clearly didn't allow this one to be over powered by sherry either. Instead sherry enhances the insane smoke and just sheer power of that lagavulin malt. Balance is found and refinement while giving us one of the most over the top experiences in whisky history. This is now a 4 figure bottle and going up by the day. I'm not sure if I could even justify the price today, but thankfully I've had a good 4-5 pours of it and likely will get at least one more, but I'll work HARD to make it at least 2. I've never had anything this intense, refined, and old world.....it's a master piece that each time I get a chance to have takes me on a journey to a truly special place. This is almost an unobtainable bottle and they trade secondary almost always first to people who are known buyers, so for anyone to jump in, good luck and you'll likely pay a premium. But this is the lagavulin if you see at a bar, you just buy, don't even think about the price.

Amazing stuff. Great smoky fruity salty sweet balance. Nose: Raisins, Chocolate, Sultanas, Peat, Smoke, Pineapples, Potato Chips, Vanilla, Apricots, Honey, Coffee, Mangoes, Jolly Ranchers Green Apple Palate: Mangoes, Pineapples, Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Iodine, Pepper, Cherries, Red Apples, Honey Finish: Salted Caramel, Pepper, Toffee, Chocolate, Honey, Red Apples, Cloves, Mint