Tag: 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”

May 2, 2015October 7, 2016

Scotland trip 2014 – part 4: South of Islay – touring Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Ardbeg

Day 9: Islay

Even on a small island like Islay you can spend quite some time in your car getting to places – especially when you’re staying on the opposite end. Thus it only made sense for us three brothers to spend an entire – hot and sunny – day touring all three distilleries in the south, starting early in the morning at Lagavulin.

Lagavulin

Lagavulin, like Bunnahabhain, is a less “touristy” distillery. Not as posh and polished as others with a kind of “old-school” feeling to it. Old, simple, painted steel staircases, narrow paths – putting the working environment first and the tourist attraction last. The charming insides speak volumes about the decades and decades of use and the history of the place, as well as a need of investment in some areas. But, on the other hand, why bother, tourists aren’t allowed to take pictures anyway and Scots are known for being stingy 😉
Anyway, out tour guide for the day was a charming young lady named Sophie and we were in luck, it was yet another very small group. The tour certainly felt positively different from all the others, Lagavulin really has a special “feel” to it, probably due to the old-style, unpolished charm of the place and the narrowness full of nooks and crannies. Continue reading “Scotland trip 2014 – part 4: South of Islay – touring Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Ardbeg”

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”