Category: Lagavulin | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

July 13, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind Tasting: Laggan Mill (Lagavulin) NAS Butt 2772

Dram data:
Distillery: “Laggan Mill” (yeah, come on, it’s Lagavulin…)
Bottler: Cooper’s Choice
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2014
Age: NAS
Limitation: 575 bottles
Casks: Butt 2772
Alcohol: 53,5%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: very pale white wine
The nose screams at me: I’m a young peat monster from Islay. I’m going out on a limb here, but I don’t think this is not an Islay dram 😉 Peat smoke, peat smoke, alcohol (not overpowering), peat smoke, brine, fresh iodine (if such a thing even exists), boiled seaweeds, peppermint (from the alcohol), white pepper, citrus aroma, freshly cut flowerbed (more on the grassy side), malty background sweetness, a hint of vanilla and a faint metallic note (probably pretty young). Continue reading “Blind Tasting: Laggan Mill (Lagavulin) NAS Butt 2772”

April 19, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Five Lagavulin. Vertically. From the cask. At the distillery.

When on Islay one of the must-do tours is the warehouse tasting at Lagavulin, especially if Iain “Pinkie” McArthur is hosting it. This year will mark his 45th year in the whisky industry and during that time he’s probably forgotten more about whisky than some of us will ever learn in a lifetime. He’s fun, engaging and famous for baptising people with Lagavulin when sloshing it around after pouring from the casks. But this article is not about the warehouse experience – it’s about the whisky we (my two brothers and I) got to taste in the summer of 2014. I was the designated driver so I decanted most of what I was served into sample bottles and tasted them later on.

10yo “Baby Lagavulin” from an ex-Sherry cask (Hogshead?)
Colour: red copper
Nose: Young, a bit harsh and spirity, peat smoke, hints of dried fruits in the background. With water: Sweeter, less peaty, still young-ish in style
Palate: Alcoholic, strong, some new make still to be detected? Bonfire smoke. With water: Less intensity, still young and metallic, more sweetness and fruits in the background
Finish: Coating, sweet, phenolic, lingering for some time, not overly complex
Verdict: Very young, really “baby” Lagavulin – too young to “die”.
Score: 79 Continue reading “Tasting: Five Lagavulin. Vertically. From the cask. At the distillery.”

February 4, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Lagavulin 16

Dram data:
Distillery: Lagavulin
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: about 2014. Code: L3324CM000
Age: 16
Limitation: –
Casks: bourbon and sherry
Alcohol: 43%
Chillfiltered, fake colour
Price at the time of purchasing: 45€
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: fake reddish amber
The nose is everything Islay is known for. Initially a welcoming (or off-putting to some…) mixture of iodine peat smoke with sweet caramel pudding. The salt takes a bit of time to fight through, but it appears eventually. After a few minutes in the glass the smokiness settles down and a complex layer of previously subdued aromas appears. Continue reading “Tasting: Lagavulin 16”