Lagavulin 25 Years Old Special Release 2016 51.7% nv

Professionele reviews

Serge Valentin (92)

Diageo’s motto is ‘Celebrating life, every day, everywhere’ and that comes at a price. But what’s the price of life? (so, Diageo, where’s that cheque?) Colour: deep gold. Nose: bang. In the style of the first 21 yo, just a little brighter, and a little less fat and sherried. First the greatest pu-erh tea (best wild tree on the best mountain, guarded by soldiers and all that) plus cigar ashes and smoke, then all things found in an old abandoned cellar (rusty pieces of iron, plaster, dust, saltpetre, soot…), then ‘a walk on a beach’ (with a wet dog, I’m sorry, dogs), then several smaller aromas, from beef jerky to cured ham, via crystallised oranges and just ‘brand new leather jacket straight from Pakistan’. Right, or Ventimiglia. And a barbecue. With water: goes towards precious woods, humidor, old Jag, fireplace, Barbour grease, porridge-and-mind, bandages… Mouth (neat): I totally hate it that it would be so good. Feels a little younger than 25, though (perhaps 18 or 20?), but the fat brightness, or the zesty richness are impressive. It’s really great that it would walk on this thin line, just when you think it’s fattish it starts to become lemony, and when you think it’s sharp and angular it starts to shoot fat tarry oranges. And tobacco and leather. Bugger! With water: happy memories of the very first 16 yo, the first Classic Malt. A brainwave. Moroccan mint tea, cider vinegar, ashes, peppermint… It’s hard to detect what comes from the wood(s), but I especially love these notes of bitter oranges mixed with coriander and cardamom. Wood or spirit? Both? Finish: long, and unexpectedly grassy. Very grassy, and leathery, and leafy. The signature is pretty ‘austere’, but the lemon in the aftertaste just lifts it again. Comments: the Feis or this? This or the Feis? Shall we start to use half or quarter points? (Note to self, yeah, do that, how smart would that be!) Oh well, it’s going to be a tie. A Connors vs. McEnroe situation, really.

Gal Granov (95)

Nose: Oh yea, this is packed with sherry goodness, one of the most sherried Lagavulins I’ve had, and I am liking this a lot! I could best describe it as drinking strong, spiced black tea, while sitting near a wood fire (on a beach on Islay), and eating freshly smoked meat, while smoking a good Cuban with friends. Oh yea! There’s a lovely sootiness, as well as sour sherry note, while the trademark Lagavulin wood smoke, is magically present, BBQ and all, if you take another sniff, there’s also a nice medicinal note to it, with some fresh bandages, and tar. Quite epic, if I might say.

Palate: The palate does not disappoint : It’s Big, it’s bold and it’s sherried, but it’s very elegant. Old Leather sofas , soot, ripe orange, lovely sherry feel to it, with BBQ meat, delicious wood fire notes, one comes to expect of a Lagavulin, it’s all very much present, with the sherry boosting it all up. Tobacco, and more of the black tea, a hint of Oxtail soup maybe, sour sherry, and even dark chocolate at times, all under a veil of brilliant smoke, you can only get from a Lagavulin.

Finish: Long, and rewarding with the smoke/ soot and citrus going a long way.

Conclusion : It’s Excellent in every way possible, at least for me, this is one of the BEST drams of 2016, if not THE best. I may be a sucker for sherried lagavulin, but this is something else. It’s intense, yet complex, with some many different elements, that make it deep, dark, and just delicious. I am still debating if to get one ( I know it’s way out of my league, but i am so much in love with this stuff). Epic. Period. What a way to celebrate 200 years of Lagavulin. Impressive.