Powerful. Sweet. Progressive. Passionate. A true experience. No, I'm not talking about Jazz, one of the most versatile musical genres out there. I'm talking about the Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival 2017, a real contender to be my favorite whisky I've tasted this year. Bottled at 57.6%abv, this true flavor and aroma machine delivers a single malt that despite its alcohol content, is very rounded and is truly a gem. On the nose, I got Povidine, pond, currants, ashes, wood planks from a harbor, maritime. Chamomile, vanilla, lemon and a muted campfire. It smells exactly like the vegetables zone in the supermarket. Orange juice, meringue. On the palate, it starts with chocolate and vanilla, then drops a bombshell of chili out of hell, with smoke. Hay. The aftertaste is simply overwhelming. Sulfuric and salty. Chocolate and chili. It's an ashtray mixed with a vanilla scented candle. Burnt hay. My score for this tremendous whisky, which pays homage to one of the many musical genres that grew out of the blues, is 100 out of 100 and I will hardly forget it. It is a whisky out of this world. Slàinte Mhath!