Lagavulin 10 Year

How old do you want your Lagavulin? After giving us an eight-year-old for its 200th anniversary and a nine-year-old for the Game of Thrones series, Lagavulin has now released a decade-strong travel retail exclusive. With an upcoming 11-year-old Nick Offerman edition bridging the gap to the annual 12-year release, can 13, 14 and 15 be far behind? As a brand extension strategy, numbers seem more defensible than Vikings, and at a mere 40 pounds at Heathrow the stakes for punters are low even if the expectations are high on the back of the two younger releases. It’s bottled at 43%, which is in line with the 16 but three points less than the 8 and 9. The label speaks of a mix of rejuvenated and ex-bourbon casks, which is hard to parse: presumably it’s all ex-bourbon casks, but some of them have been re-toasted. We’re off to a good start with the nose, which is very promising: a rich and sweet toffee that should be very accessible for people offput by the more aggressive aromas of the 16. There’s a delicate peat too, but the impression is predominantly caramelized sugar. The palate is a little confused, however, and it took a couple of tastings on separate nights to get a partial handle on it. What’s certain is that it’s surprisingly light at first. After that I struggled to get a consistent reading. On the first tasting, there was a beat before the peat kicked in, which it did with a rumble that built up to a tongue-numbing level, albeit with a sweet undertone. I got a burst of caramel at the end but not much after that: the finish was a little short and flat. Take two suggested I needed to reset my expectations and consider this a delicate and subtle Lagavulin, an oxymoron if ever there was one, yet I’m still filling in the blanks between the soft start and the caramel drizzle at the end. Is there any flavor in the mid-palate to speak of? All in all, it’s rather underwhelming. Was Lagavulin trying to make a gentler version? Did it have some inventory in dodgy casks that it needed to move before it took a turn for the worse? Will my reset expectations learn to enjoy its subtleties, assuming some wait to be discovered? I suspect not.

Strong peatiness on the nose, with notes of leather and tobacco, manly like the guy from the Marlboro Country but without the stench of horse poop. Underneat, however, there is a sweet soul that shows up, of caramel, nutmeg, crispy with sesame and licorice. Stratified and complex, a rough but buttery man like a cross between John Goodman and Ed Harris in Westworld. In the mouth there are smoked herrings wrapped in leather, chewing durettes perhaps, with a lot of licorice, caramel, a drop of honey, cereals, salted butter, ripe apple. Touch of ginger. What on the nose struggled a little to emerge, here blends in harmony, with a slight pre-eminence of the sweetest notes, but remaining fiercely Lagavulin although at a more subdued gradation. Fairly long finish, used ashtray soaked with sea water, cereals, hazelnuts. Lower grade and youth could do the damage, and instead this Lagavulin defends itself well (which one does not do?) and it also delivers a certain complexity while being highly drinkable.

A beautiful new travel exclusive, the king of Islay delivers a 10yo expression, which might seem young for some people, but peat heads such as myself know that 10 years old is a nice age for smoky whiskies. Bottled at 43%abv On the nose, pretty complex for a 10yo: spent matches, iodine, vanilla sweetness, "shoe store", sea foam, very maritime; oysters. On the palate it is as nice, vanilla, fried pork, vanilla milkshake (i swear) and smoke. Aftertaste is mild filled with spices, oregan, english sauce for barbecues and salt. Overall this would make a good entry to islay whiskies for those who have never tasted one. For more experienced whisky drinkers it is a nice new member od the family but it wouldn't surprise me if people prefer the 16yo. My score for it is 85 out of 100.

Nose – Start off with the trademark vegetal, yet cereal-like peat. Bit of cinnamon, apples, and ginger. Palate – Smoky, toffee/caramel, lemons but met with a metal-like minerality that was surprising. A bit harsh, not in an ABV manner, but astringency. Quite an acidic and abrupt end. Finish – Dry as a bone and subtly oily. Maybe a little bit of a seashell/brininess with little peat/smoke, but very much a letdown. Water – N – Took the peat away…vegetal notes brought forward. Grassy, maybe some roses and hay. P- Turns the caramel to more of a butterscotch…brings out black pepper/white pepper, but nothing else. No cream… Finish same. Oh my! NOT the Lagavulin we all know and love.... 2.0 is all I can give… 50 pounds = 62 dollars…

What the hell was Lagavulin thinking putting this out ? Maybe that’s why it went straight to travel retail. Nose is fine, classic phenolic Lag. But wow...what a step down in the palette. Brash in a bad way, disjointed, and trying to find its place between the citrus, smoke, sea spray, and mineral. in last night’s tasting at @Richard-ModernDrinking’s, I’m so glad I didn’t have this after the Ardbeg 19 or Octomore 10... I’d have been much harsher.

Nose: I pick up some nice "handcrafted suede" , vanilla, very light hint of citrus and some freshly cut wood. Taste: Peat comes to the palate in a delicate way (for a Lagavulin), it brings along some brown sugar, almpnds and orange peel notes, followed by what I can describes as something between toffee and milk chocolate. All is wrapped up in a warm coffee and caramel finish. Overall a very nice "Autumn evening in a comfy sofa" dram.