I never thought anything could be better than the Lagavulin 16. But this is. Yes, it’s still 16 years old, but the double maturation has improved an already fantastic richness, mouthfeel, and flavor. On the nose, the smoke is old and musty, much like an old cellar that caught fire 10 years ago kind of thing. There is also some dried fruit, particularly raisins on the nose from the PX Sherry casks. This whisky is incredibly smooth and almost instantly you can tell that this is a level up from the standard 16. It’s richer and more elegant. The smoke is similar, but appears to be more “grown up.” There is this tar quality on the palate, similar to when they repave new roads. The finish is long and smooth. If you are used to the standard 16, this Distiller’s Edition offers more developed flavors with new prospects. The finish comes back to the classic Lagavulin flavor, so it’s like the whisky shows up and says “hello I’m more mature than my counterpart, but I’m more mature and don’t fool around, but don’t forget I’m still a Lagavulin.” This is the perfect expression of Islay in my opinion. Distilled 2001/Bottled 2017.