Colour: White wine.
Nose: Fresh and intense on the nose. Seaweed, oysters and peat smoke at first, followed by lingering notes of lemons and orange peel. Slightly medicinal character, bandages and cereal notes emerge, lovely mixed with green banana, delicate peaty flavours and a whiff of wood smoke. Very appealing and refreshing. Yes - that's Lagavulin!
Palate: Deliciously sweet start on the palate with yellow fruit - lemons, oranges - and subtle honey. This is immediately followed by an intense spicy punch of pepper, oak, cloves and allspice, lovely interwoven with crisp cereal, oatmeal and wood smoke. Becomes significantly drier towards the finish with peat, tender maritime flavours, allspice and a briny coastal edge. Lovely seductive!
Finish: The finish is long, warm and lingering sweet. Austere and slightly astringent, with wood smoke, orange peel, cereal notes and peat lingering for a long time on the tail.
With water: Fresh and clean on the nose with a wee drop of water. Sea breeze, vanilla, and citric fruits intermingle with cloves, peat and tender wood smoke in the back. Still intense on the palate. Sweet orange juice and honey are in perfect harmony with spiced oak, pepper, nutmeg and hints of caramelised ginger. The finish is still long, sweet and warm with a whiff of walnuts, peat, smoke and coastal flavours.
Comments: This is classic Lagavulin! Clean smoky character in perfect balance with fruity sweetness and intense spiciness. Complex, mature and well-crafted, despite its youth. One for the hip flask for a seaside walk on the shore of Lagavulin Bay. Well chosen to celebrate the distillery's anniversary. An age statement limited edition without any exaggerated price tag. Much appreciated!