Lagavulin 25 Year
$1,649.99
Region:Scotland > Islay
All gone.
Bottled at 25 years of age to mark the 200th Anniversary of one of Islay and Scotland's most beloved distilleries at 55%. 8,000 bottles released world wide, only a tiny fraction of that is coming to Canada. Apparently matured in sherry casks.
This one came as a bit of a surprise. I asked it we'd be getting any earlier in the year and was told likely not, as there was only 1,200 bottles going to the US. I said that was crazy, surely they could find a few cases for us Crazy Canucks who love Lagavulin, and then I forgot all about the conversation. And wouldn't you know it, they did find us some, though exactly how much is not clear. We are assuming we will get at least 6 bottles, but you know what they say about people who make assumptions.
93pts Whisky Advocate Magazine "This cask strength, sherry cask matured expression was released as part of Lagavulin’s bicentennial celebration. The nose offers new leather, tropical fruits, brittle toffee, and brine, backed by spicy peat smoke. Smoky sherry notes open up in time. The rich, well-mannered palate boasts sweet peat, brine, muted sherry, figs, gentle spices, tangerines, and lemons. Becoming more savory in the long, gently smoky, malty finish. Very drinkable at cask strength. A great Lagavulin."
Tasting Note in Brief: "Rich, intense and complex; deeper, less racy and more rounded than younger expressions, while just as drying. This mature Lagavulin shows a full range of smoke blackened, meaty and peaty notes that are wonderfully offset by balancing ripe fruits, mintiness and sweet cereals."
Distiller's Tasting Note
Nose: Profound, complex and dry overall. Rich yet elusive, it really takes time to open up, first offering liquid dried fruits; figs, dates or prunes, a trace of treacle toffee with almost no sweetness and a distant faintly medicinal note of wood polish, which takes on char and smoke, as with a fine old oak chest left too close to a roaring fire. Gradually you discover jammy notes with roasted meats and honey; even, a raspberry coulis. Finally, there are clean ripe red apples, mint and, in time, a whiff of sealing wax. Water brings up soft toffee and milk chocolate, sweet marzipan over sour cherries, cold smoke, burnt timbers and pine resin.
Palate: A voluptuous, oily texture, with a bitter-sweet and gingery, slightly drying start. Intense, with masses of charred wood, oak-smoked meats, honey, burnt treacle tart and ash. Then, refreshing spearmint. Salty, then sweet, with water; gentle peat and spearmint. Now it’s soft, comforting and relaxed.
Finish: Long, smooth, sweetly honeyed and elegant, with slowly rising fragrant wood smoke, ash, salt and a subtle, chilli like heat; followed by cooling eucalyptus. Finally, oily and bittersweet,with burnt orange peel, all of it lingering deliciously. Softer with water, which brings a late, quiet pungency.