Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 56.5%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon Refill
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 135.00
Official website: www.malts.com
Vote: 91/100
How beautiful are the 2019 Diageo Special Releases?
Packaging and labels are certainly not unknowingly reminiscent of the Flora & Fauna series of some time ago, and one is more beautiful (and eye-catching) than the other, with my personal preference for the Cragganmore one.
As per tradition for these special series, the bottling is cask strength, an opportunity then to try the core range of the beverage giant in a different guise than usual: I refer you to the aforementioned review of the Cragganmore for details of the other bottles.
Tasting notes
Straw yellow with copper highlights in the glass.
On the nose, an explosion of well roasted bacon on pine wood, with lots of saltiness and anchovy paste. A balsamic touch rounds out the peat hit. Intense and penetrating, for lovers of the genre (Me! Me!), a real spectacle.
Chilli peppers that greet you at the first sip, bowing immediately to the pungent marine peat (anchovies marinated in barbecue?), accompanied by an unexpected sweet tone, of apricots and pears, as if fruit skewers had been made on the burning wood. Citrus, salted caramel, and again the balsamic note running in the background. Full-bodied and chubby but anything but cuddly, a sort of sailor fisherman with a jovial soul (like Big Peat but with an easy laugh).
Long finish of embers, sea and caramel.
What a strange dram! A Lagavulin you don’t expect, very enjoyable and balanced, offering a challenging but satisfying dram.