Whiskey_Hound
Lagavulin 25 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
August 20, 2020 (edited April 6, 2021)
Lagavulin 25, the centerpiece of the distillery’s 200th year anniversary celebration. Natural cask strength at 51.7% ABV. Aged in sherry oak casks. A true true rarity; this is bottle no. 53/8000.
Does any of this make it worth the ridiculous asking price of $1200? Well... here we are.
Nose: All the peaty, smoky, briny notes one would expect from Lagavulin. Campfire smoke, seaweed, sea salt, a touch medicinal. But it’s more reserved, and far less brash than any of other offering. Caramel, milk and dark chocolate, as well as toffee and vanilla. Plum and apricot. Blue raspberry and grilled pineapple. Orange citrus. Coconut. Black pepper, black tea, and cigar smoke. Walnut and chestnut. Roasted almond. A birthday cake note. As you’d expect with a quarter century of aging, plenty of oak. Magnificent.
Palate: A riptide of flavor. More of the campfire smoke, sea salt, brine, seaweed, peat and medicinal notes. Big time iodine. A heavy hit of dark and mint chocolate. An assortment of smoked meats and barrel spice. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Orange, grapefruit, and lime citrus, with some more blue raspberry, apple, pomegranate, cherry, and apricot notes. Sherry. Black pepper, black tea, walnut, chestnut, and oak. Similar to the nose, but adds a couple more layers. Unrivaled taste.
Finish: A heavy dose of peat and grilled meat. Dark and milk chocolate and salted caramel. Oak, black pepper, cinnamon, sea salt. More black tea and tobacco. All the briny and smoky notes appear as well. More of the citrus, especially orange and lime. Long finish.
And there’s my last review. There’s nowhere to go from here.
...well not really. But if I did want a perfect curtain call, I’d do it with this one. Everything about it is simply amazing. It’s my new favorite whisky.
The brine, peat, and smoke notes on the nose, if this makes any sense, present themselves as a daydream more so than as reality. To elaborate, when I pull my nose away from the glass, I’m left insure of whether those initial notes were there in the first place. It could be that it’s so much less than bold than the other Lag expressions, or maybe it’s because they are so many more layers behind it. It’s a strange point to make, but that really stood out to me.
There’s no questioning the peat-forward nature of the palate than. It’s a three course meal with dessert. Is there anything this doesn’t offer? Let’s check. Peat, smoke, brine, medicinal, meat, sweet fruit, citrus fruit, dessert sweet notes, nuts, spice, and oak. Yeah, that’s pretty much everything I could think to look for in a whisky. All done to perfection, and astoundingly-well integrated at that. And the finish just delivered on every level. It’s an encapsulation of the finest aspects of the nose and palate, riding out to a long conclusion that takes me back to the end of a day well-spent at the beach growing up.
Was it worth the coin? I don’t even know anymore. I think I’m supposed to say “No, no whisky is worth this much.” I could’ve purchased a really marginal car, or a really nice television with this kind of money. But that money is long gone, and what I’ve got is this incredible Scotch that I’ve been nursing for quite some time now.
And I’m happy with what I’ve got. So for once, I’ll forgo the VFM discussion and instead declare that I’ve got a new favorite whisky. Well done, Lagavulin.
1200.0
USD
per
Bottle
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I loved this one. I'm not sure it's as good as the 24 year 2015 release, but they're both contenders for my favorite from the distillery.
Thanks for the feedback, all!
@Whiskey_Hound - 👏👏👏👏👏 (standing ovation)!
@claptonfan756 Technology to the rescue. Excellent
@CKarmios. - we have been doing virtual meetings since April by sending out the small-bottle taster sets and meeting via Zoom.
@claptonfan756 the whole club idea as a concept and your execution of it is sounds grand. @WhiskeyLonghorn perhaps not the best time to start one though...
@claptonfan756 You're right! I'll have to check them out.
@ContemplativeFox - I don’t know where you’re located but you might want to do a google search to see if there is club already established in your area. It’s quite surprising just how many clubs there are.
@claptonfan756 very cool that you're in a club. I'd like to set one up, but unlike @WhiskeyLonghorn I don't have a bunch of neighbors who would be interested.
@WhiskeyLonghorn - we have 20 members who meet once each month (3rd Friday) at a member’s house (different house each month). We pay a yearly membership fee that covers the cost of the whiskies and we take turns at providing food at the meetings. We have a written club policy document that defines the roles and responsibilities such as president, secretary etc. We capped the membership number so we can have the meetings at a member’s house, but I know other clubs that meet at a suitable meeting room and therefore can have more members. At the end of the year we have an annual dinner meeting at a local restaurant where wives are also invited and we spend all of the remaining money on high-prices whiskies.
@claptonfan756 how is your club set up? My neighbors and I are thinking about setting one up.
Excellent review that’s informative and fun to read. If a whisky is worth it to you, then it’s worth it. Tasting exorbitantly priced whiskies is why I’m in a whisky club. At our annual club meeting we splurge on whiskies which are way beyond the comfort zone of the members and enjoy everyone of them :-)
@PBMichiganWolverine L🤣L. I’m not there yet but you’re making me nervous. Since I’m already drinking, does that mean I’ll drink double if & when I’m “lucky” & blessed enough to bring forth future generations? Maybe another vice? I hear broccoli is now legal in CA, CO & a few other states 😉
Excellent review!
@ContemplativeFox @ScotchingHard future generations is what’s driving me to drink 😊
Wow, Nice treat! Well described. On a plane that seldom few can acquire and attain and glad you thoroughly enjoyed.
@ScotchingHard I'll take the shelter over the whisky, but what have future generations done for me lately?
@CKarmios You mean you _don't_ get most of your life-affirming experiences from daytime TV and sitting by the side of the road waiting for AAA?
I will take a Bottle of Lagavulin 25 over a beat up car or a top line TV any day. @PBMichiganWolverine I will also choose whisky over shelter and future generations.
Great review. Enjoy the drams - you will remember them forever.
Well I don’t know when exactly you made this purchase but I’m pretty sure the TV or car would by now be broken or near worthless. That whisky though goes in the opposite direction both form the money standpoint as well as the personal value.
I’m curious how you explained to Mrs Whiskey_hound the justification behind dropping over $1k on this. In our house, there’s a deal in place that for every dollar I spend on whiskey, a dollar has to be spent on kids’ 529, and mortgage pre-payment.
I agree. Enjoy your find. We live once.
Sounds like you've had quite the life-affirming experience; would a car or television have given you this?
This is a dream bottle. There weren’t many made, and that price tag insures not many will buy it. That’s the fee for perfection I guess.
I have to agree with @Ctrexman on the price, but this sounds about as close to perfection as any whisky has ever come. You made the right call buying it instead of a really marginal car.
Great review. Too rich for my blood though