This is the final installment in a series of six reviews. The previous in the series can be found here.
The
distilleries involved are what Diageo refers to as The Six Classic Malts and are
comprised of Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Lagavulin, Oban, and Talisker. Each takes part in the DE program. Today, we’ll
explore the 2023 Lagavulin
Distiller’s Edition.
“Miles and miles of peat bog in the west of the island provide the raw material which imbues the barley with that distinct smoky flavour. Not to mention the rich peaty water that runs down the brown burn from the Solan Lochs and into the distillery. In case you haven’t figured it out, the smoky, peated Lagavulin is seen as the ultimate expression of this region.” - Diageo
In
1816, John Johnstone founded the first legal distillery at
Lagavulin. There were many illicit ones prior, dating to at least 1742. Then,
in 1817, a second distillery called Ardmore (no relation to the distillery that exists today)
was built by Archibald
Campbell. Ardmore went silent in 1821, and
Johnstone purchased it in 1825. He ran them both, but in 1835, Ardmore was
shuttered. A year later, Johnstone passed away, and Alexander Graham,
a spirits merchant, purchased Lagavulin. Ardmore and Lagavulin merged
operations under the name Lagavulin.
Graham’s
son, Walter, was in charge until he left in 1848 to head up the
Laphroaig Distillery. In 1852, Walter’s brother John Crawford Graham assumed control. Then, in 1862, it changed hands
again, this time to James
Logan Mackie.
In
1878, James hired his nephew Peter. James passed away in 1889, and Peter took the
helm, forming Mackie
& Co.
Here’s
where things get interesting. In 1908, Peter got his panties in a bunch and
built another distillery called Malt Mill. Malt Mill was constructed as a replica of
Laphroaig’s distillery. His goal was to duplicate Laphroaig’s whisky. He
failed, but Laphroaig sued anyway. The court dismissed Laphroaig’s allegations
since Lagavulin utilized a different water source and peat than what Laphroaig
used.
Peter
died in 1924, and Mackie & Co changed its name to White Horse Distillers.
Buchanan Dewar Ltd then acquired it, and in 1927, Buchanan Dewar Ltd
merged with Distillers
Company Limited, which eventually became Diageo.
I
saved the Lagavulin for last for a few reasons. The main is that it is an Islay
Scotch and should be very peaty. The second is anticipation. I love Lagavulin 16,
the distillery’s core expression and the base of the DE.
Lagavulin
16 is packaged at 43% ABV (86°). The Distiller’s Edition adds a second
maturation in Pedro Ximenez (PX)-seasoned American oak casks. This was the
third reason; PX is my favorite type of sherry oak in whisky making.
PX
sherry is made from Spanish white grapes grown around various regions, but primarily
from the Denominación de Origen (DO) of Montilla-Moriles, creating a crazily
sweet, dark dessert sherry.
Lagavulin
Distiller’s Edition has a suggested price of $125.00.
While
I’m about to #DrinkCurious, I realize that I’m potentially setting myself up
for disappointment because of the three reasons that I kept this whisky for the
last in the series.
Before
I get there, I must thank Diageo for providing me with a sample in exchange for
my no-strings-attached, honest review.
Appearance: I
served this Scotch neat in a Glencairn glass. The liquid looked like dark
bronze and created a microthin rim. Fast, thick tears fell, yet sticky droplets
remained.
Nose: Peat
and seaweed were the first smells I encountered. Aromas of raisins, apricots, caramel,
and toffee followed. Salted caramel rolled across my tongue when I breathed
through my mouth.
Palate: The silky
texture introduced the front of my palate to what I could swear was a caramel-rich,
smoky barbeque sauce. Grilled pineapple, raisins, and apricots formed the
middle. The back featured brine, tobacco leaf, and dark chocolate.
Finish: The
finish was unusual, to say the least. It was like an ocean tide. It started with
a peaty wave, then faded, and when I thought it would be short, another wave of
peat rolled through. Overall, it was long, including flavors of tobacco leaf,
dark chocolate, oak, and a distinct saltiness.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Thankfully,
I was not disappointed. The PX influence was obvious. Lagavulin took an already
fabulous whisky and added panache. Is this something that a peat newbie can
handle? Not likely. But an Islay fan is going to go absolutely bonkers. This
16+-year-old single malt Scotch is worth the price of admission, and I’m
sitting here wishing I had another Bottle.
As
an added bonus, I’ll include notes from my review of Lagavulin 16 since I
happen to have a bottle on hand. The tasting notes from my
2020 review of the core whisky are still dead-on:
Nose: There was no mistaking the aroma: Peat, peat, and more peat. But, with a much more mature nose, I discovered brine and sweet caramel beneath all that peat. When I inhaled through my lips, it was all vanilla cream.
Palate: My first sip was oily and coated but not what I could describe as heavy. The first thing to strike my palate was, not surprisingly, peat and ash. The best description I can use to tell what I tasted was coffee ice cream. The coffee and vanilla were thick. Below those, I found brine and seaweed.
Finish: I found it was very long, smoky, and oaky. But, punching through that was a tasty caramel, chocolate, and toffee mixture similar to a Heath bar.
Well, there you have it. I
hope you’ve enjoyed reading my reviews of the 2023 Distiller’s Edition
whiskies. I know that I relished drinking them. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
