Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 53.3%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Madeira
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 160.00
Official website: www.malts.com
I conclude my journey through the whisky tasting held on 8 June at the Whisky Club Italia headquarters by sampling a Lagavulin 12yo handfilled, available only at the distillery. A whisky from ex-Madeira casks, priced at £140, with a customisable label, as shown in the photo taken by the Whisky Club delegation at the end of May during the Fèis Ìle.
Tasting Notes
The colour is amber.
The very first impression on the nose is vinous, although this aroma is accompanied by Lagavulin’s typical aromatic smoke, something halfway between a bonfire that has been extinguished for hours and embers greased with the juices of grilled meat. The sweetness is clearly perceptible in a hint of caramel, while grilled apricot goes hand in hand with lemon zest. The contribution of spices is substantiated by pepper and nutmeg in moderate quantities. White-fleshed fruit, not necessarily grilled, rounds off an olfactory range that is perfectly balanced between the DNA of the distillate and the influence of the ex-Madeira casks.
On the palate, the attack is undoubtedly spicy (again pepper and nutmeg), but the shift to sweetness with generous caramel is sudden. The fruit (apricot and yellow apple) blends with an unrelenting bonfire smoke that embraces the whole, and something very similar to charcoal meets salty memories that bring to mind the sea and complete a profile that is never unbalanced and at the same time original.
In the medium-length finish, peppery notes, smoky touches and sweet streaks blend harmoniously until the next sip.
Review: The contribution of the casks is significant, and rightly so, but Lagavulin remains recognisable, in its deepest nature, at every moment of drinking. As an experiment, if that is what it was intended to be, I think it is definitely successful and certainly repeatable.
Vote: 87/100