Lagavulin Distillery 1995 - Feis Isle 2014 - Bottle No. 3311 Port Ellen Isle of Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky ABV 54.7% Vol 700ml / 70cl

DESCRIPTION

TASTING NOTES (by Whiskyfun.com)

Lagavulin truly is a classy brand… oops, distillery. I really enjoy the fact that they never compromise and never play it the ‘Miley-Cyrus-way’, or make these false innovations that just everybody does these days. A gentleman’s whisky, really.

Colour: full gold.

Nose: I was a little afraid it would be a fatty sherry monster, while it’s not at all. The sherry’s only another ‘spice’, all the rest is textbook coastal Islayness, and guess what – and I swear I’m not making this up – it does nose a bit like the 16 years old at cask strength. Same notes of rubber bands (or, indeed, wet-suit), oranges, walnuts, seashells, tar, pink grapefruits, almonds, a little tobacco and smoked tea… What’s more obvious than in the 16 is this massive iodine that mingles perfectly well with the grapefruits. Brilliant. With water: hurray, I managed to recreate the 16 all by myself!

Mouth (neat): exceptional. Sharp, ultra-chiselled, even more ‘precise’ than, for example, the 12 yo CS, very flinty, ultra-lemony, masterfully peaty and briny… I’m truly impressed, the expression ‘sharp like a blade’ must have been invented for this one, although there is a smoothness as well that makes it relatively approachable. Don’t tell your visitors. With water: perfect. Swims like the son of Mark Spitz and Shirley Babashoff. No I don’t think they’ve ever been together, I’m just trying to sound smart despite the Lagavulinian assaults.

Finish: sadly, yes. Comments: I think Lagavulin/Diageo have understood since quite some time now that it’s best to offer the pilgrims who fly/drive/swim to Islay for the festival the best they have, for the fairest price they can. And f***k bloody eBay. That’s very smart, and very fair. No we won’t talk about some of the other brand… oops, distilleries up there. A stunning bottle of Islay magic (and if it’s really Pinkie who did this, well we’ll call him Pinkie The Great from now on.) SGP:458 - 94 points.

PRODUCT SUMMARY