Lagavulin 2000 Distillers Edition (Bottled 2016)

Hell of a ride this one. This is like taking the scariest most savage rollercoaster. If you ever come near this dram, take my advice, let it rest. For at least 15 minutes. As a Lagavulin hardcore fan, this one has the most difficult aroma of them all, and smelling it right away will make you run from it. Waiting is the key here. Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color. Ok lets talk about the nose. It is rare. It seems the Pedro Ximenez Cask has been defeated and relegated to a supporting role. It takes too long for the PX flavors and aromas to get out. My notes: Meat. Like a meat shop. A bloody, raw piece of meat. The sherry influence mixes with the spices and the peat to make it a rubbery, meaty aroma. Salt, Olives. It is not a lovely aroma, its a raw, kitchen like, one. The it changes into a Maritime aroma. This is so different from any other lagavulin. A dim toffee note appears after a couple minutes. Pork. Aromatic peat after 10 mins. Sherry emerges after 15 mins giving this dram a perfumed complexity. Conclusion of the nose: 21/25. It raised from a 17 to a 21 by waiting. It wasn't good, but it grows and improves just by letting it breath. On the palate it is much better. Very salty; Pepper, sea weed, Meat, Sulphur. There is some toffee for a small second. PX just adds a special bite. The more you wait, the better it gets. Aftertaste is long and unique. Not necessarily in a good way. Not bad either. This dram has confused me. Smoke. Salt, meat, english sauce. Barbecue sauce. The sauce from the chicken nuggets. Overall this dram is an experience, a very "sui-generis" one. My final score for it (and i say "final" because it has changed a lot from the start to the end of this review), is 90 over 100. If it were 87 it would also be fair for it, but for complexity, experience and capability to improve over time, the 4.5 star is ok.

Beautiful golden colour, peaty and fruity smell, also a bit of saltiness Elegant and very smooth on the tongue but the strength comes back up once you swallow. The peat comes well with the sweet nutty flavour. Definitely one of my favourite Lagavulins.

More rounded and less iodine and seaweed than the 16 standard. Abiding sweetness of raisin, the pear is mellowed and more of a wood smoke

Oh for the love of peat! Spicy leather too