Lagavulin's take on the 200th anniversary release is in sharp contrast to Laphroaig. While the latter released an off-cycle 15 year variation, Lagavulin chose the opposite to its stalwart 16 year old. Here's your chance to taste their amazing whisky at half its usual age. Kudos to them for leaving the age statement on the bottle as this might be a deal breaker for most other scotches. The first thing I noticed is how light in color it is- this thing is American light beer light. The nose is still very Islay- peat smoke, medicinal and briny. A smile can't help but form on my face. It's very young and feisty on the tongue with so much oak it almost tastes like a first-fill, bourbon barrel highland malt. Then the smoke overtakes it and you are reminded this is Islay and Lagavulin we're drinking here. My smile broadens... The finish comes rather quickly and unfortunately it's shorter and drier than what a Lagavulin should be. That's the only short coming that I can find. It's a better 200th celebration than Laphroaig's 15 Year for sure. It's a big win for me. Ignore the price point, which is a bit high for such a young scotch, and enjoy this for what it is: another fantastic Lagavulin single malt. Invest in a bottle and celebrate 200 wonderful years. Cheers, my friends